Be Challenged & Lead On with Anupama(Part 7): Ladder Extending to Ladder Building!

Last time I shared key takeaways from the Leadership Conference I attended in Orlando, Florida. I got to meet some of my mentors and I have been challenged to start building the ladder for other leaders. This is another benefit of attending an in person event like this where you are surrounded by leaders who are many steps ahead of you and they help you reach your full potential. My mission to Be Challenged & Lead On continues...

There are 4 stages to make the shift from a ladder climber to a ladder builder.

1. Ladder Climbing - "How high can I go?"
2. Ladder Holding - "How high will others go with a little help?"
3. Ladder Extending - "How high will others go with a lot of help?"
4. Ladder Building - "Can I help them build their own ladder?"

I elaborated on the first and second one in my earlier newsletter articles which was "Ladder Climbing" and "Ladder Holding". See the link at the end of this article.

In this article, let me tell you more about the next stage of "Ladder Extending". The question you might have is "How do you do that?". By intentionally and strategically mentoring other leaders. I have started empowering other leaders to climb higher and go to entirely new heights/levels.

Whether you are in the stage of leadership to be extending the ladder for others, or you are looking to someone to help you develop as a leader - keep in mind the following:

1. Who you learn from is as important as what you learn. Finding a good mentor or coach to learn from is integral in your journey of success. How do you find a good mentor?
2. No one can help you in everything. Instead of looking for ONE Mentor, seek out several for each key area in your life that you are working on. How do you recognize this?
3. Look for someone who is bigger, faster, more knowledgeable, and more experienced that you. Be the person who has the compassion to connect with others without trying to correct them. Maturity is essential in a mentor's life.

My mentor John C. Maxwell says in his book "Leadershift" that the Mentoring relationship is at its best when the mentor and mentee interact on common ground, I was a bit confused when I read this for the first time... I am sure you are too!

What it means is that we need to share our failures, disappointments, and losses with our mentees. This is contrary to popular belief that we need to showcase our strengths and our accomplishments when we are mentoring others or leading others. If you want to extend the ladder for others and give a lot of help to others so they can go higher in their leadership, it is important to be humble and authentic.

Humility and Authenticity from both the ladder extender and the emerging leader create a strong foundation where growth is possible.

I met Marlon E Bradshaw Jr., PMP about a year ago when we both got involved with the idea of starting a Toastmasters Club for our local PMI Chapter in New Jersey. I started mentoring him and decided to apply some of these lessons that I have been learning in my own leadership journey -

1. I started as a Ladder Climber and was appointed as a Board Member for the PMINJ Chapter in June 2023
2. I became a Ladder Holder and appointed Marlon as the 1st Club President of the PMINJ Toastmasters Club which was chartered in June 2024
3. I became a Ladder Extender and Marlon appointed 12 Club Officers to be on the Executive Committee to define the mission and governance for the newly chartered PMINJ Toastmasters Club

Next time I will share how I am laying the groundwork for becoming a Ladder Builder by asking some key questions.

The question is "Are You Ready To Be Challenged & Lead On with Anupama?".

I am grateful to Marlon for this LinkedIn Recommendation... THANK YOU Marlon E Bradshaw Jr., PMP for being a great mentee :-)

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Let's take steps every day to raise our leadership lid and develop leaders around us!

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Block time on my calendar to have a conversation on how you could be part of our community - join my upcoming webinar where I will be sharing my story on "The Power Of Mentoring", this is scheduled for Wednesday 23rd Oct 2024 at 7 PM ET. The recording will be made available to everyone who registers.

During my webinar, I will be sharing with you 4 questions you can ask before you mentor someone, it is crucial that you invest your time wisely in a mentoring relationship. Mentorship does have its privileges!

Below are the links to my previous newsletter articles where I have elaborated on the different stages - this will help you in your leadershift from a Ladder Climber to a Ladder Builder.

• Ladder Climbing - "How high can I go?"

https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/01leadershift-ladder-climbing-building-kinatukara-pgmp-pmp--niqse

• Ladder Holding - "How high will others go with a little help?"

https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/02leadershift-ladder-climbing-building-kinatukara-pgmp-pmp--6d0ve