“How to Become a Leader without Being a Boss” was written by Jeannette Seibly
The mindset of how to identify and train new leaders has changed. Due to technological advancements, geographical influences, and financial and people demands, many women engineers are failing to clarify what leadership really means. As a result, ask yourself, “Are you ready to lead?”
10 Important Leadership Skills to Develop Now!
- Develop Advanced Communication Skills. This is #1! Listen and learn, then, listen and learn some more. Develop your verbal, written, and presentation skills through workshops. Then, consistently use and refine them.
- Improve Decision-Making. Critical thinking and understanding the impact of your decisions is important. Take the time to learn both sides of an issue–the facts and others’ opinions—before making decisions. Do not rely on tiny fragments of information or base your decisions on your feelings or other biases about the topic or people. Your goal is to develop win-win-win outcomes for all those involved.
- Develop Resilience. Your ability to rally quickly after mistakes and learn from them helps you develop greater confidence. Everyone experiences disappointment and embarrassment. Talk to your coach and mentor instead of denying the mistake, or the mistake will come back to haunt you later!
- Rally Others. First, and foremost, you must become responsible for your biases. Even without the title, you influence others by your actions and attitudes. When you expand your POV, you develop your ability to work with and through others to get the job done.
- Take Initiative and Be Resourceful. The mark of good leadership is the ability to step up and make things happen, regardless of the budget, or your job title. Become a catalyst for exploring new ideas, creating solutions, and understanding system, legal, and financial impacts.
- Honor Ethics with Integrity. Be aware of your company’s policies and follow them. If these policies aren’t working, don’t ignore them. Instead, recommend changes by communicating with your boss, co-workers, and others. Bring viable solutions to the conversations, not complaints. Also, honor your promises, contracts, and other agreements, whether they are done verbally or in writing.
- Build on Strengths. We all have inherent business strengths and weaknesses. It helps to clarify them by using qualified assessments and 360-degree feedback tools. The best way to build effective strategic and tactical skills is by allowing your coach and mentor to guide you through specific challenges.
- Achieve Intended Results. Did you know 70% of companies have project failures? (Project Management Tools May 2019) Develop your leadership skills by supporting the team leader and team members, while resolving issues occurring behind the scene.
- Get Involved in Associations. This can be a fun and great way to develop leadership capabilities by becoming active on association boards and committees.
- Be Coachable. Most successful leaders have an external coach and an internal mentor. Their job is to be your champion. Talk with them when working through complex situations and handling political relationships.
About the Author:
Jeannette Seibly is an award-winning dynamic results coach and keynote speaker. For the past 27 years, she has guided leaders and teams to excel. She is also an author of, It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition and It’s Time to Brag! Career Edition. In 2019, she was recognized by SWE We-Local Denver with their “People Choice Award for Best Speaker.” Learn more about Jeannette Seibly and listen to her podcasts on Anchor.FM or YouTube.com.
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