6 Tips If You Desire More Leadership

What to do if you feel stuck and don’t know how to expand your influence


According to a Harvest Business Review surveying 3,625 full-time workers in government and the private-sector, 34% said that they aspire to more leadership. Though this statistic indicates that the majority of workers do not want their boss’ job or a broader leadership role, 34% represents a large number of people who do.

Which category are you in?

If you’re like me you may be hungry for more responsibility. However, I think the 34% don’t always have the right tools or mindset to help them get there. You may have a boss who is proactive in helping you grow as a leader or you may feel that your boss is actually the person holding you back from more leadership. But at the end of the day if you are not being entrusted with more, here are six things you should do (or shouldn’t do):

1. DON’T BLAME OTHERS - LOOK INWARD


The first tip is a “don’t do”. If you desire more leadership and feel disappointment, longing, or even anger welling up inside because you feel stuck, you may be tempted to project those emotions on to other people (like a boss or supervisor) who you feel are blocking your leadership opportunities. I’m not excusing the responsibility I believe all managers have to coach employees through career goals, but I would say that more often than not there is a reason you aren’t in the leadership seat you desire yet and it’s probably more than just “my boss doesn’t like me”. You must introspect and dig deeper to find out what you can change to grow in your leadership - which leads to tip #2.

2. IDENTIFY YOUR BARRIERS


Now that you’re looking inward and not blaming others, figure out the ACTUAL barriers between you and more leadership.  You have to do the hard work of identifying your own limitations. This isn’t a fun exercise because most people don’t want to confront their weaknesses or turn over the rocks of insecurity, pride, or blind spots. I would start by bringing to mind a specific position or role that you would want to fill one day. Now, figure out the answer to this question: “what is actually required of this position?” What skills, traits, or leadership ability are they looking for in this role, maybe even beyond what’s on the job description? Sometimes the answer to this question only lives in the mind of the manager. So, a good question you could ask the manager of this position is, “what are the two most important leadership traits that you want to see in the person who fills this role?” You may hear things like, “someone with a dynamic personality”, “someone who is a natural driver who can move the team into action”, or “someone who has strong relational tact”. This kind of conversation may help identify an area or two that you need to personally grow in.


Another great way to identify your own barriers is to seek feedback. Figure out what others perceive to be your strengths and weaknesses. Ask your current manager. Ask your peers. Ask those who report to you. Ask everybody. Ken Blanchard famously said, “Feedback is the breakfast for champions”. 
Again, this won’t be easy but it’s vital for your growth.


3. BE A RELENTLESS LEARNER


Now it’s time to GROW in the areas identified in #2. If you want more leadership you have to put in the hard work of learning and growing…constantly. Maybe that means taking a course in management. Maybe it’s getting up an hour earlier every day to work out so you have more energy throughout the day, or surrounding yourself with other leaders (more on this in number 5). But start learning and growing TODAY.  For instance, maybe you need to grow in your verbal communication skills. You could grow in this by practicing on your own team. Do a weekly or daily huddle with your team and practice your inflections, your energy, your content, etc. and then ask for feedback from your team members individually. You have to be OK with putting yourself out there and failing before you can grow. There’s no doubt you will grow if you practice, seek feedback, and then repeat. And repeat again. What are other ways you can grow and learn? Take a second and think of one or two practical things you can do this week to begin your growth journey.

4. THINK/CARE ABOUT THINGS OUTSIDE OF YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION

One of the biggest disconnects I’ve seen in those who desire more leadership is their inability to see things outside of their immediate tasks and responsibilities. If you want more leadership, start thinking and caring about the things that other leaders think and care about. I’m not saying to overstep your boundaries and insert yourself into someone else’s job, but by looking at the bigger picture you will grow in your leadership insight and intuition and will bring additional value to the organization. Trust me, your leaders will notice this shift in you.

5. DO A FRIEND-VENTORY

You’ve heard it said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with (famously said by Jim Rohn). I’d encourage you to take an inventory of who you are spending the most time around because chances are your leadership ceiling will grow proportionately with the leaders you surround yourself with. This is what’s called the law of averages, which is the theory that the result of any given situation will be the average of all outcomes. Simply put, if you want to grow in any area in your life find people who have already walked that path and be a sponge around them. Learn what they do, how they do it, and how they did it.

6. LEAD “UP”

The last tip is to learn the art of “leading up”. You can actually lead your leaders. There is tact in how you ask your manager for a raise, how you voice a disagreement, and how you instill confidence in your leader so that you are entrusted with more. If you aren’t getting the outcomes you desire with your leader, you may be lacking the skill of “leading up”.

I believe if you put these six actions into practice you will see doors begin to unlock in your leadership growth and leaders will begin to entrust you with more and more. Maybe a good action step for you today is to pick one of these areas and identify a couple of initiatives you can start this week.

If you’ve made it this far into this post you are someone with a hunger and zeal to be an effective leader. Now let’s put principle into practice and watch your growth soar.