Leadership Potential

As you grow and advance in your career, you are likely to become a manager.  In a lot of ways, there's not a whole lot of training around this when it happens.  Because of that, a lot of new managers lack an identity as a leader.  

When you are given the honor and the responsibility of managing others, it is a defining moment for you, your career, and the career path of others.  

Think back to the supervisors you've had over the years.  Most likely you work harder, are more efficient, and stay with a company longer when you have a good supervisor.  Alternatively when you're stuck with someone who micromanages, doesn't give clear direction or is just plain unpleasant you probably accomplish less and leave your company a lot more quickly.  Being a boss give you the opportunity to shape the framework for how your company operates.  It also affords you the opportunity to shape the future of those who will go out into the world  and become leaders themselves.  Selfishly, I also want to be a good leader so that my name is out there as someone who is great to work for.  

So how do you become a good leader/manager/boss?

Take the Role Seriously

First understand that being a boss is an important role.  It's not about just you anymore.  You're being trusted to represent the company you work for and to teach other employees what that company stands for.  You will be shaping the careers of others and are often in control of their future roles within the organization

Decide what kind of boss you want to be

Figure out what characteristics you have valued in past supervisors and which ones made your skin crawl.  And then be realistic about what works for you and the group you're supervising.  I hate being micromanaged, but I also understand that sometimes when team members are new they require more oversight.  Make a list of things that are your top priority and figure out how to make those your defining qualities as a boss.  For me that's communication, excellence in expectations, and providing the confidence in my team to do their jobs.

Be Consistent

Whatever type of manager you become, be consistent.  Nothing is worse than a boss who lacks consistency.  Figure out who you are as the team leader and consistently be that person.  It's ok to evolve, but don't decide you don't want to micromanage and then become the person who looks over everyone's shoulder.  The fastest way to frustrate your subordinates is by being unpredictable.

Be Flexible

What works for one employee does not work for all.  Some of your team may require more guidance.  Others don't need any.  Understand their strengths and weaknesses and be flexible as a leader so that you're providing the tools to success for your team.  This includes how you assign projects and give feedback.  Be aware and be flexible.   

Give up the Friendship Role

I'm not a formal person.  As a supervisor I'm probably more approachable and laid back than a lot.  But I'm also very quick to point out the misses and make sure we are working towards excellence.  It's ok to be friendly, but give up the role of friend to those you supervise.  There are boundaries as the boss and they are very critical to the success of your career as a manager.

Be Open to Criticism and Growth

Ask for feedback from both your superiors and those you supervise.  Is all of it going to be useful?  Probably not.  But being open to feedback allows you to reflect on the things you aren't able to see everyday and to grow and adjust how you lead the team.  If you're not constantly looking to how you can be a better manager, you're in no position to be one to begin with.

Being a boss is all of the emotions.  It's exciting, scary, stressful, growth - it's a really cool honor.  But there's a very fine line between being a successful boss and being the person who nobody wants to work for.  Take the role seriously and do everything you can to be you but in a way that promotes success for yourself, your team, and your company.

Professionalism

In the workplace, you are bound to come across people that are hard to work with.  People you may not like at all.  But part of growing up, excelling in your career, is learning to avoid the drama, and be the bigger person.

Whether you're 22 or 42 - the best skill you can have as a professional is professionalism.  The ability to separate yourself from those who succumb to the immaturity and the drama, that's such a skill in the world. 

Throughout my years as a boss babe, I've certainly fallen into the trap of letting the drama get to me and participating in the madness.  But as I've grown and advanced, I'm developed a bit of an artistry towards handling these less than ideal situations.

Let's talk how to develop and maintain that kind of mentality. 

Mind your own business.

First and foremost, work is not a social community.  It's important to have good working relationships and even to maintain strong friendships with a select few of your coworkers, but work is a business.  Your number one purpose is to do what you were hired to do, develop your skills, and contribute to the success of your company.  That's it.  When drama is happening around you, when you hear the gossip, the immature behavior, do not engage.  Mind your own business.

Learn the art of the brush off.

Chances are, at some point, someone is going to try to pull you into the spectacle.  Learn to artfully comment on the situation without taking sides and make it clear you're uninterested in involving yourself.  Don't get sucked in.  Remind yourself that your number one role is to spend your time doing your job.  I you're constantly finding yourself approached by the office drama queen (or king) - be slow to respond, continue emailing, be uninterested.  The art of the brush off is being able to get the point across that you're not interested in joining the circus without having to blatantly say "go away you're the worst."

The rule of words.

I have a rule that I live by at work.  I don't say anything to anyone that I wouldn't want to be said to someone else.  I own every single thing I say about someone and to someone because I've been careful about how I speak to other people and about other people.  I've put my foot in my mouth in the past and had to own up to things I should not have ever said.  And that's not a good feeling nor a good professional look.  Think before you speak, keep personal feelings out of it, and remember that business is not the place to regret what you say.

Keep your goals in mind.

The person who gets promoted, who excels in the work place - is the person who does not engage in the theatrics of petty behavior.  In 2017, company culture is a priority and if you're catty, gossiping, and constantly speaking about others in a negative way - you're not promoting a positive culture.  No matter how good you are at your job, if you create a disruption in the company culture, you will be fired.  Your value is not greater than the good of the company.  Constantly put your professional goals at the forefront.  Your competition is yourself.  Develop your plan with your manager and focus on that plan.  Leave everyone else out of it.

Find your zen.

It's not always easy to bush off the drama.  Sometimes it's difficult to deal with and harder to ignore.  It's stressful, it's unpleasant, and unfortunately - it happens.  When it does - find your zen.  Take a walk, listen to music, text a friend.  Do whatever you have to do to disengage from the situation and refocus back to your goals.  We all slip up, we all succumb to the pressure sometimes - but being able to step back and get out of it before any real damage occurs is what separates the amaturs and the professionals.

Professionalism is so important to a successful career.  As a manager, if you're not displaying a high level of professionalism and working to better your skills in this area, I'm not going to invest myself in you.  You are not the future of the organization and quit frankly, you're not going anywhere in life until you grasp this.  Professionalism takes a lot of self reflection and commitment to growth.  You will never stop developing this talent.  22 or 42, it's your greatest asset and you should consistently be looking to take it to the next level.  Don't ever let yourself forget that work is a business, it's not a social setting and it's not high school.  Save the shenanigans for your personal life because the professional world doesn't care.

LinkedIn - The New Facebook?

Our entire lives are based in social media.  You've got Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and about 1,000 other platforms I'm blissfully unaware of.  LinkedIn has become the social media for business.  And with the importance of networking, it's a extremely useful tool for building your relationships and showcasing your work.  But recently I've noticed that the line between Facebook and LinkedIn have been crossing paths quite often.  And what used to be a really great resource for business is quickly becoming just another version of Facebook.

I like boundaries.  I strongly believe in having boundaries in the workplace and keeping personal and professional lives separate.  You don't discuss politics, relationships, or personal issues in the workplace.  For me, LinkedIn is an extension of the business world.  I utilize a professional photo, my status updated are related to my career, and when I engage with others its for business reasons. 

More and more I'm seeing questionably appropriate photos, political rants, and receiving romantically laced emails inquiring about my relationship status or complimenting my appearance. When I see people who are utilizing LinkedIn in this way, I remove them from my network.  And I sincerely hope if you respect yourself as a career person, you will too. 

I'm unsure if people feel its a safe space because they're behind a computer, but in the workplace, these things wouldn't fly.  They wouldn't be appropriate and the people engaging in this way wouldn't be people you respect in business.  LinkedIn is a space where you specifically post your resume and identify your employer.  One would then argue that you are in fact a representative of your employer while engaging in this space.  With that in mind, would you still be engaging on LinkedIn in the manner you are currently doing so? 

Personally, I disengage and I think twice before doing business with anyone who takes this space to a personal, social level.  I question their ability to be effective at their job and to be able to separate business and personal.  If I question your judgment on the internet, I certainly don't have time to risk working with you in the real world.

I really enjoy LinkedIn.  I value the networking aspect and the ability to utilize the website to learn and grow and showcase myself and my company.  I don't think its asking too much to expect reasonable adults to think before they engage in a professional networking space. But it takes accountability and choosing not to engage with people who abuse the network.  Think before you post in general, but use common sense when you're on a website specifically representing you as a career person, and don't be caught out of turn.