Leadership is hard.
That’s probably not a newsflash to anyone, but it bears repeating, leadership is hard. Sometimes you feel like everything is falling into place and other times you wonder how you ever managed to get where you are. From my own trials and tribulations, here are my most important lessons in leadership so far:
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Let others contribute. I know, right? Seems pretty obvious…But if you are someone who is used to doing everything on your own, it can be difficult to let others step up and share the load once you’re in leadership. You may feel like doing all or most of the work personally will unburden others, but this could communicate that you don’t value what others bring to the table (even if you do).
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Change your approach. The skills that got you here, sadly, may not take you any further. In a leadership position, you are no longer working for yourself, you are working through others. And people are complicated. You won’t be able to solve problems or complete projects with the same approach you would usually employ, you’re going to have to find a new way to do things. Need an example? Refer back to #1.
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Always give the benefit of the doubt. But never expect it for yourself. This goes to trust and communication. Your team members will greatly appreciate that a misunderstanding didn’t lead you to jump to conclusions and they will know you have their back – which builds trust. But you shouldn’t expect it in return…Seems unfair? Welcome to leadership. Understanding that you won’t receive the benefit of the doubt will help you to always explain what you are doing and why. Lack of communication leads to assumptions, but good communication will let people know where they stand and what to expect.
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Be a facilitator. An essential piece of leadership is growing other leaders and it can be hard to do this if you only position yourself as “The Boss.” The answer is to Facilitate! Create opportunities for others to be ‘in charge’. Set parameters and let your team drive the work. Recognize when you can bring people to work together. It’s a great way to identify strengths in individuals and develop a team that can thrive without you (because you’ll need a vacation at some point).
I’ll be ecstatic if what I’ve shared here will aid in your development, as these lessons were hard-won – as all good lessons are. If you’re reading this, I hope you’ll share a lesson of your own – because leadership is hard, but it is SO worth it, and we could all use all the help we can get.
Name: Jennifer
Title: Senior Claims Representative
Industry: Insurance
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Photo by Nikita Ignatev on Unsplash
