Before you answer that question, perhaps consider this question first: What is leadership?
Some people define leadership as the stereotypical hard-driving “A” type personality that demands perfection from themselves and everyone else. This is a form of leadership and that is not what this post is about.
I see leadership a little differently. I believe that most people are or could be leaders. Leadership can also be defined as the quiet example that some dedicated people set without drawing attention to themselves. That kind of leadership is defined by their work ethic. The things they do that most people do not notice define it. It is defined by the care and time they take to help new people or people that are struggling. This is the type of leadership that allows people to succeed. This leadership is the focus of this post.
Every successful person I know is always early to work or to their club or sports team, they are usually the first person to arrive and one of the last people to leave. Not everyone agrees, but I have found this to be a common connection. By being early, they have a better understanding of what is going on, they can anticipate issues because they see situations developing, and they have more time to deal with good things and bad things.
This type of leadership will eventually be noticed by other similar people. Appreciation can be slow, but these people care about the work they do and the people they work with, it is genuine and can be learned by most people. These people benefit by learning how things should work, knowing how things work, and then trying to anticipate and fill the gaps.
A common problem with many frustrated people who aspire to be leaders is that they have an agenda that they want to implement. This is good, leaders need a vision and they need a purpose. To be successful though, they need to understand in order to implement their agenda, they need “willing cooperation” from their people. To get willing cooperation they must listen and appreciate their people. The best way to do this is to listen to what they have to say, to learn about them, to find out what they want to learn and how they want to contribute. You can try to impose your will upon them and this might work for a while, but in the long run, that is not leadership, it is a dictatorship and ultimately you will be frustrated.
Helping people might seem like an obvious thing; however, it is something that I have noticed sorely lacking by many people who claim that they are leaders. If one of your people has a problem, they need help. If someone comes to you, it is important to stop what you are doing, listen to them, have them explain the issue, ask them what they think, and then help to solve their problem.
This is true in any organization. The culture in a good organization is that of helping anyone who has an issue.
It might also seem painfully obvious if you want to get ahead, you need to work hard. Often though when a person is not successful with an organization there can be a tendency to pull back. When this happens, it is important to realize it may not have had anything to do with you, and by “slowing down” you may disappear from the organization’s list of prospects. As difficult as it might seem, these are the times to continue to work hard, continue to make suggestions, and further your reputation as a reliable and dedicated associate who can deal with adversity.
Never underestimate the importance of having consideration for others.
- Do you say “hello” to your coworkers?
- Do you smile?
- Do you say thank you?
- Do you take the best parking spots or hog multiple parking spots?
- Do you notice when people around you are acting “down” or “up” and acknowledge those feelings?
- Do you hold the door for other people?
None of these points are career-breakers; however, by doing or not doing some of these things, you may be holding yourself back.
Building a reputation as a person who gets every job done quickly, efficiently, and on time is a great way to be noticed. Few people enjoy doing the invisible, mundane tasks that have to be done every day, the things that people just take for granted. Somebody has to do them and trust me, people do notice. Being one of those people, especially at the start and throughout your career will eventually pay dividends. By doing all jobs with the same flair and enthusiasm will help you stand you apart, even if you would rather be doing something else. You may not think that this approach would be effective, but by doing all of these jobs; you learn the “nuts and bolts” of how your organization works.
People notice who complains. In my experience, “Some people seem to only be happy when they are unhappy,” this is not a good reputation to have. Nobody is going to agree with everything that happens in their job and it’s important to realize that negative reactions are noticed and unfortunately not forgotten. There is a time and place for being upset and venting; however, doing it in a public way while you are upset is not helpful. Appreciate that some decisions are unpopular but also necessary. If you are still upset, speak to your supervisor after you have had a chance to collect your thoughts and do so privately not publicly.
Another trait that quiet leaders have is that they tend to look at problems from more than one perspective. We can all be guilty of only seeing things from our perspective. Situations at work rarely only have two sides, there may be forty-two sides and few of us are privy to all of the facts or reasons why things happen the way they do. This appreciation is a key skill to master.
Be ready when the call comes. When an organization asks for volunteers or is looking for someone to step in and help fix a situation that has spiraled out of control – be that person. Associates who can work in any situation, who can handle things calmly, and deescalate situations are incredibly valuable. If something goes against you in one situation, bide your time. Initially, you may not have been ready, you may not have had all the skills or experience, but you are still in the game if you accept this premise. Take the time to gain the skills and experiences that are missing, keep your attitude positive, and be ready.
Appreciate that “fear” might be a reason. I have found that almost everyone has fears. Some are afraid of change, some have overwhelming responsibilities that weigh heavily on everything they do, some have health issues, and/or family issues. Whatever the fear; awareness and acknowledgment of that fear are key attitudes for a quiet leader. Some people are stuck, sometimes as a result of their own decisions, but not always. Empathy and understanding can make frustration disappear and help you and the organization function much better, which is good for everyone.
Leadership takes many forms; I seldom hire the hard-driving people mentioned at the start of this post. Instead, I look for the quiet leaders, the people who appreciate that their organization succeeds when all of the people who comprise our team succeeds. People who care, they may not always be the ones who attempt to be “in charge”, often they are the ones who work the hardest and set the best examples; these are the ones who I hire and promote.
As with most of my posts, these points are things that you can do right now, today, they do not cost lots of money, you do not have to take a course, you just have to try to do them.
Now to answer that question, “What is holding you back?” … perhaps you need to become more of a quiet leader.
Good luck,
Paul.