Leadership is not a position, but a skill that can be learned and improved. According to Harvard Business Review, leadership is about connecting, motivating, and inspiring others to achieve shared objectives. To be a leader, you need to have self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and a growth mindset. You also need to be able to communicate effectively, give feedback, delegate, and manage change.
In this blog post, I will share some insights from Harvard Business Review articles on how to develop your leadership potential and become a better leader for your team and organization.
1. Start with yourself. The first step to becoming a leader is to understand yourself: your strengths, weaknesses, values, motivations, and blind spots. You can use tools such as personality assessments, 360-degree feedback, coaching, or journaling to gain more self-knowledge. You should also seek feedback from others regularly and be open to learning from your mistakes. (Source: Anyone Can Learn to Be a Better Leader by Monique Valcour)
2. Build relationships. Leadership is not a solo act, but a collaborative one. You need to build trust and rapport with your team members, peers, managers, customers, and other stakeholders. You can do this by listening actively, showing empathy, expressing appreciation, and being transparent and authentic. You should also foster a culture of psychological safety, where people feel comfortable to speak up, share ideas, and disagree constructively. (Source: The Leadership Odyssey by Herminia Ibarra et al.)
3. Set a vision and strategy. Leadership is not only about managing the present, but also shaping the future. You need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and why it matters. You also need to have a strategy of how you will get there and what resources you will need. You should communicate your vision and strategy to your team and other stakeholders in a compelling way that inspires them to join you. (Source: Radical Optionality by Martin Reeves et al.)
4. Empower your team. Leadership is not about doing everything yourself, but enabling others to do their best work. You need to delegate tasks and responsibilities to your team members according to their skills and interests. You also need to provide them with the support, guidance, feedback, and recognition they need to grow and succeed. You should also encourage them to take initiative, experiment, and learn from failures. (Source: Don’t Let Distractions Derail Your Company’s Strategy by David Lancefield)
5. Lead change. Leadership is not about maintaining the status quo, but embracing and driving change. You need to be able to anticipate and adapt to changing circumstances and opportunities. You also need to be able to influence and persuade others to follow you through change. You should also involve them in the change process by soliciting their input, addressing their concerns, and celebrating their achievements. (Source: Driving Organizational Change — Without Abandoning Tradition by Gianpiero Petriglieri)