You're in a program management role and need to improve your leadership skills. What's the best way to start?

Embarking on the journey to sharpen your leadership skills? Start by mapping the terrain of your strengths and areas for growth. Tools like the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) or the Program Management Competency Framework (PMCF) are your compasses, guiding you through the landscape of vision, communication, collaboration, and more. Don't trek alone; enlist peers, mentors, and clients as your guides, gathering feedback to chart a comprehensive view of your leadership capabilities. This self-awareness is the foundation upon which you can build a more effective and impactful leadership style.

Self-awareness is like the compass guiding our leadership journey. It's all about understanding where we stand and where we want to go. Tools like the Leadership Practices Inventory and Program Management Competency Framework are like trusty maps, helping us navigate our strengths and growth areas. And let's not forget the importance of feedback — it's like having fellow travelers sharing their experiences, giving us fresh perspectives and fueling our growth in vision, communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and innovation.

There is no set process to develop leadership skillset. Main reason is to bring in the 'shift in the mindset'. A leader one must be self-aware. This helps not only to know & utilize their own strengths but also work on other areas that they want to grow. Learning agility is essential for continuous learning and improvement. Therefore it is super important to set up learning goals and meticulously track the progress. Don't stop there until you find a way for the knowledge application. Next is one should be adaptable to changes. Be in control to lead the way. Leaders should continuously work on their communication so that they can share the vision, collaborate, remove obstacles, motivate and get the best out of their teams,

For any improvement initiative, a must define the current state (AS-IS) clearly. Unless we do this, any strategy to move to desired state(TO-BE) will be a worthless effort. How we define the current state depends largely on the context of the environment or the organization one is operating in. However, there are some generic parameters to improve one's leadership abilities. We can certainly use some existing frameworks like PMCF but this generic framework should be tweaked to fit the organization context since program manager role differs from company to company and also within the same organization

For any improvement initiative, a must define the current state (AS-IS) clearly. Unless we do this, any strategy to move to desired state(TO-BE) will be a worthless effort. How we define the current state depends largely on the context of the environment or the organization one is operating in. However, there are some generic parameters to improve one's leadership abilities. We can certainly use some existing frameworks like PMCF but this generic framework should be tweaked to fit the organization context since program manager role differs from company to company and also within the same organization

Based on the leadership assessment, you can check your strength and weakness (area of improvement). Once it is clearly documented, you need to make the action plan to leverage the strengths and work on the weakness. SMART goals helps you in ensuring that you achieve the desired goals. When you write SMART goals, ensure that you view it on daily basis. This can be done by putting it on your study table, wallet/ purse etc so that the same reminded you to take action.

To create a learning plan for leadership development, begin by pinpointing your strengths and areas needing improvement. Establish SMART goals tailored to enhancing leadership abilities, such as delegating tasks with confidence or refining conflict resolution skills. Utilize various resources like online courses, workshops, leadership literature, or organizational mentoring programs to support your growth journey.

All of us have blind spots which can't be viewed by ourselves, hence we need to run the results of the survey with possibly all the stakeholders we closely work with, something similar to a 360 degree feedback mechanism. This allows us to get impartial outcomes. Once the results are reviewed by stakeholders, quickly review from your side too and finalize the scores. Devise a 30-60-90 day plan to start working on the action items. Please remember to pick even the strengths along with weaknesses. Prioritize the action items based on the current need or the intended outcome.

Diversity is essential in leadership development, as there is no single method that suits everyone. To effectively enhance your leadership skills, it's beneficial to combine various approaches tailored to your learning style and preferences. Options include formal training such as courses or workshops offered by professional organizations, mentorship from experienced leaders, reading books and articles on leadership, and utilizing online resources like podcasts and webinars. These avenues offer structured learning, personalized guidance, and access to a wealth of knowledge, catering to different learning preferences and schedules.

Learning methods are specific to the individual. Hence choose a learning method that you are comfortable with and don't choose something that is in demand in the market and which is endorsed by many. You know what suits you, so stick to that instead of jumping into the Bandwagon. Please note that in this day and age, information overkill is wide spread. Be cautious to pick only that goes well with your habits and personality

In my experience, Monitoring and Control is critical for program management role and this is very much needed to check the health of project or program status. Many tools are available for tracking the progress simple one is excel. Collect the data metric and analyze if things are progressing in right direction or not. Review them on regular basis to get the deliveries right on time with quality.

To develop leadership skills and be able to effectively manage a Program in charge, strategies such as: ? Identify strengths and weaknesses so you can focus on specific areas of improvement, using tools such as 360 to obtain feedback. ? Seek training and development opportunities in specific areas of leadership that need improvement. ? Practice leadership in everyday situations such as team meetings, delegating tasks effectively, or resolving conflicts between team members. ? Seek feedback and learn from mistakes about performance as a leader. ? Be a role model for your team by demonstrating the leadership skills you want to foster in them.

Improving leadership skills is important for program management roles, and there are several ways to start. These include seeking feedback from colleagues, enrolling in leadership courses, reading books on leadership, attending leadership events, and practicing mindfulness techniques such as meditation. The key is to identify areas of improvement and take action to address them.