Simple Advice for the New Leader: How to Maximize Your Leadership Impact

Search the word "leadership" on Google and within .63 seconds you'll get 774,000,000 results. Everything ranging from leadership styles, to defining the term itself, to the qualities of a good leader. 774,000,000 results! That's one for every 9.94 people on the planet. There are plenty of opinions within one click, so why not one more?

To the new leader trying to find your way, this is for you. I'm hoping to use my 20 years of leadership experience to help you simplify your approach as you begin shaping the future. Whether leading the young or the seasoned, employees or volunteers, Type A personalities or the not-so-competitive, I believe people emerging into leadership roles should zero in on a few key ideas:

1. Strengths - Leaders need to be self-aware of their own strengths, and aware of the strengths of those in their care. Mastering this will make your life so much easier. Decide what to keep on your plate based on what only you can do, and delegate as much of the rest to others as possible. In delegating, match the project you want done to the right member of your team based on the strengths and skills you believe are essential to the project. If you do this well, the engagement level on your team will shoot through the roof, I promise. I've led several teams through the resources offered by the people at StrengthsFinder and I buy StrengthsFinder 2.0 for every person we hire. Buy the book, read the book, take the test, align your workflow to the strengths of your team. And ALWAYS leverage your strengths to benefit others around you. You get more in return than you ever give up. You're welcome.
2. Communication - Leaders have to be very intentional about communication, both verbal and non-verbal. When you're in a leadership role, all eyes are on you all the time, like it or not. You're an example of what your organization values in its leaders. You decide whether it's a good or bad example based on how you communicate. Choose your words wisely and check yourself against the core values of the organization (there's usually one in there about being courteous or respectful). When communicating in writing, read your message back to yourself and consider the mindset of the recipient before you click send. Your tone will take the shape of whatever mood the reader is in at that moment, so don't give them too much room to misinterpret what you're trying to tell them. And most importantly, watch your body language. If you're sitting in a meeting and the CEO says something you disagree with, the last thing you want to do is drop your head or roll your eyes. It's hard to do, but if you consistently support your leader(s) publicly, you will earn their trust and the authority to challenge them privately. This shows a maturity few people in the organization will have, and will launch your credibility as you grow with the organization.
3. Learn - Leaders never stop learning. A good leader knows he/she has never arrived and has a fierce drive to keep growing. Read books and articles, listen to podcasts of great leaders, and put yourself in situations that stretch your comfort zones. Growth only comes through getting uncomfortable and keeping yourself out ahead of complacency. Seek the mentorship of leaders who are a season or two ahead of you in life. Get their honest assessment of your strengths and where you need to grow. If they possess strengths in areas where you are weak, ask them to mentor you on an ongoing basis. Any leader who has enjoyed a high level of success is more than willing to invest in you and help you grow, especially if you buy them lunch every now and then. Remember what I said at the end of point #1 above?
4. Pay it forward - I love Tim McGraw's song "Humble and Kind", especially part of the last verse that says "when you get where you're going, don't forget turn back around, help the next one in line...". In your leadership journey, you'll find the most rewarding moments are when you get to use your experience and knowledge to mentor others. I have read countless books on mentoring and servant leadership written by many great authors. Something they all have in common is the joy they have from a life lived in service to others. This is no accident or coincidence. It's a truth proven over and over. Great leaders love to help others succeed.

So welcome to leadership. Hopefully you're more excited than nervous. Be confident, stay humble, and know you'll never be perfect. Focus on strengths, communication and learning and you'll set a great foundation for your journey. Act on every opportunity you get to pay it forward and you'll quickly become a leader the next generation will get in line to follow. And check back here often. I'll help you out even if we've never met. Shoot me a message or comment on this article if there's anything specific you'd like to ask or know. Until next time...