My tips for leaders

A colleague suggested it might be helpful in International Women’s Day for a wider audience to hear some of the advice I regularly give to the people I mentor.

The first thing I would say is that, in my own career, I didn’t find motivation in moving up the organisation. What really drove me was a desire to learn more and be challenged. For that reason, I often took on more work that I would request from others and, perhaps more importantly, found additional work that would interest me. For the most part, this was identifying issues and problems within teams and working to solve them. This is how I found myself moving up the career ladder.

So, with that in mind, here are the things I would suggest you consider when pushing yourself forward in your career:

•  Always think people-first: Having studied organisational behavior, I know that the team – especially the team at the top – must be functioning for the rest of the organisation to be able to function also. There must be the right accountability and the right mix of people. Don’t be afraid to make changes that might make teams work better. Change can get people acting slightly differently which can shake out some issues.
• Discover your weaknesses: You might want to test with your team where they think your weakness is. This gives you the challenge to work on but also means that you can find the right mix of people around you who help to balance this out. I know that I need someone close who is a completer / finisher – who can pick up a task and see it through and keep me on track with it.
• Don’t be afraid to buy in expertise: If you need expert help with something, buy it in. Even in a senior position you are not expected to know everything but you are expected to make sure you and the company does the right thing and makes the right choices. If this means getting help in, do it.
• Learn to influence appropriately: As a business leader, influencing comes from encouragement. Ask the right questions and guide people to find their own solutions. Influencing is an art; it is not a blunt instrument.
• Support each other: Even at the top we still sometimes need an emotional support system as well as a business network. Make real connections with your team and allow openness. When I have been challenged in my career I have really felt the benefit of having close confidantes at work who can provide emotional as well as practical support.