Your career is built upon many layers below the obvious surface of professional competencies. How do you become aware of the things you might be neglecting that could, if ignored, impede your progress? Many existing leadership models can help you and more or less cover a similar set of attributes. They broadly cover a similar set of attributes. They broadly cover functional, professional, personal and leadership competencies related to your level in the organisation and the various internal and external communities with whom you interact. Assuming that you are taking care of the functional aspects, how are you faring in other spheres?
While professional and personal competencies help you deliver the functional part of your job- these include articulate communication and presentation skills and facility with the latest technologies – it is the leadership attributes that contribute significantly to you career growth. And here is the essence of it: good leadership requires you to ensure your career growth and your that’s , deliver results and innovate. To do so, you have to approach this task in a thoughtful and planned manner.
Too often, we focus solely on results and forget that they are usually delivered with and through other people. Developing your team means being involved from the recruitment stage to giving clear-cut instructions and providing honest feedback. Negative feedback to staff is easily digestible if they see you as someone who truly cares about their careers and coaches them to help them grow.
In a workshop a long time ago, we came up with over 80 attributes an accomplished leader should possess. I am sure this list can easily be expanded but the point is that you do not need to possess all of them (just yet). For starters, you should at least be aware of the more critical ones and map your current state of readiness to what the ideal it. Actively working on specific developmental areas and keeping abreast of current affairs will help you grow.
Added to all of the above is the need to expand your network inside and outside the organisation. The leaning (and grooming) opportunities from interacting with a wider universe are immense, so do not limit yourself. As I said earlier, none of this happens by itself. Look for role models and mentors, read about people who have succeeded (and see how often have failed) and actively participate in a number of networks. And yes, do all of this while making time for your health and family too.
By Leon Menezes. Thwarting writer is a professor-of-practice at the IBA-Karachi, a senior HR practitioner and an executive coach.