Expert Panel, Forbes Coaches Council
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When you’re just starting your own business or are stepping into a leadership role at a new business, confidence can be hard to come by. To be effective, leaders not only need to have certain skills and traits, but also a willingness to learn. If you don’t demonstrate genuine leadership, it can lead to tension, resentment or even mistakes at work — none of which are steps in the right direction.
When you’re a green leader among seasoned colleagues, one of the best things you can do is learn from those who’ve been in your shoes. To boost your understanding of leadership skills, traits, strategies and steps, check out these tips from some of the experienced leaders in Forbes Coaches Council.
1. Show What You Know
Greener employees can establish themselves right away by sharing their innovative ideas, knowledge and expertise. They should establish their niche and become the “go to” person for a specific area. They should be willing to assist others freely in that specific area. Don’t just solve a colleague’s problem or issue with your knowledge or expertise; actually teach someone how to solve their own issue. - Dr. Sharon H. Porter, Perfect Time SHP LLC, Coaching, Consulting and Book Publishing Firm
2. Serve Your Teammates
No one likes a show-off, especially if that show-off is super smart, super talented and half your age. For younger team members looking to lead, try the highest (and most humble) form of leadership: service. Great CEOs serve their employees, and then their employees serve the customers. Serve your teammates and they will not only accept you wholeheartedly, they will follow your lead! - John Hittler, Evoking Genius
3. Get Behind The Scenes
If you are a greener leader than your well-established colleagues, make it a point to proactively learn the spoken and unspoken workplace rules before you make your mark. Hold formal meetings and informal lunches and inquire about your peers’ preferences for collaboration, communication and getting work done. Learn the behind-the-scene alliances and who to go to for information and resources. - Loren Margolis, Training & Leadership Success LLC
4. Lean On Others’ Expertise
Engage with your employees and let them know you are depending on their expertise to get the job done. You will establish yourself as a leader who values the input of his or her employees. Sometimes a leader wants to believe that he or she should be “great” in every area. Well, the truth is, the more you progress, the less you will deal with the details of your work center. - Mika Hunter, Female Defender
5. Build Personal Relationships
Building relationships is key when you’re new to the leadership team. Inviting colleagues for a “get to know you” coffee or lunch goes a long way toward accelerating positive vibes. Make the most of your time together with a few easy questions to create a good connection. Sharing about hobbies, best parts of the job and favorite family members makes for a personable experience. - Carry Metkowski
6. Learn From Colleagues First
When stepping into a new leadership role, the most important thing to do is to find out what has worked and what has not worked. I don’t like to go in right away as the expert, because often those who are there already are closer to the business and its challenges. I think it’s important to let people know you want to learn from them first before you make assumptions or try to solve anything. - Heather R. Younger, J.D., Customer Fanatix, LLC
7. Identify The Circles Of Influence
The first thing would be to identify and map the circles of influence within an organization. Typically these are the more seasoned individuals who exhibit a high level of expertise, strong networking skills or both. By having a better understanding of the internal politics, a new leader can better navigate the situation by knowing who should be consulted for the decisions that need to be made. - Carolina Caro
8. Help Others Succeed
Leverage your knowledge and abilities to help others (or the team) succeed. That’s the best way to stand out amongst peers — by bringing value to them. Facilitating the success of others is one of the most important tasks of leadership. If you help others succeed, they’ll want your input. They’ll begin to listen to your perspective. Your influence will grow. - Christian Muntean, Vantage Consulting
9. Go On An Authentic Charm Offensive
As a new leader, you need to take two important actions: Get to know others and frame an authentic picture of who you are — your values. Do this formally by scheduling meetings or lunches with more seasoned leaders in the organization and informally by stopping in on colleagues and others to get to know them and their experiences. In the exchange, be authentic and be sure to listen more than you talk. - Julianne Cenac, Ph.D., The Leader Channel
10. Be In A Student Mindset
The most viable way to illustrate leadership is to show a student mindset. In a new organization, there are many things that are unknown to a new leader. It is important to show that you as a leader want to understand and learn those things before expecting to be taken seriously as a leader. Combine that with seeking advice from current leadership and you have a winning combination. - Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group
11. Ask The Right Questions
Our natural tendency is to step in and lead by sharing our knowledge or expertise. Until we know the lay of the land — who we are trying to lead, what they’ve done or haven’t done already, how they feel about the situation, and so on — it’s tough to effectively lead. Demonstrate your competence by the questions you ask. They will feel seen and heard and valued. You will connect. Ideas will emerge. - Kimberly Roush, All-Star Executive Coaching
12. Know That You Deserve To Be In The Room
Stop letting your age or years of experience define your aptitude and career trajectory. You are in a leadership role because your company trusted that you were qualified. Now you need to trust in yourself and your abilities. Whether you need to resort to power posing, confidence mantras or good old therapy, be confident in yourself and your abilities and know that you deserve to be in the room. - Kyle Cromer Elliott, MPA, CHES, CaffeinatedKyle.com
13. ‘Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood’
Dr. Stephen Covey’s quote, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood,” is one thing “greener” employees can consider when stepping into a leadership role. The new leader can develop a systematic approach to understanding their seasoned colleagues. Use a list of questions to learn about their expertise. Include questions about what it was like for that colleague when they first stepped into a leadership role, and ask for transition tips. - Cindy Stack, Whole-Life Leader
14. Focus On The System First
Invite each functional team to gather to explain their roles to you, say what keeps them awake at night, show what innovations they’re currently working on, and hear their suggestions. By focusing on the system when you’re new, you’ll get a quick intro to needs, group tensions, ideas people have and priorities you may need to focus on while you forge new relationships and meet people. -Joanne Markow, GreenMason
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