How to Develop Your Leadership Skills in the Workplace
Written by Life Coaching Blog on August 18, 2020
If you have high aspirations in your career, you need to establish the absolute certainty that you can be a leader. In reality, you are probably becoming a great leader, and you’re not just aware of it yet.
Whether you are still new to the workplace or thinking of advancing to the position that you have wanted for so long, becoming a great leader is crucial. If you ask everybody in the office, they might point at someone who at least shows natural signs of being a leader, but in your case, how will you become one if you are not born with the necessary leadership skills?
When you are trying your best to become a great leader, one thing to do is make your name known to everyone. It would be best if you were not someone who comes across as ridiculously ambitious or too overbearing. So, how can you get the balance between these two? You have to take time to consider the following tips to become a great leader without making a fool of yourself.
Become Acquainted with Everyone
Regardless of what they do or who they are, and whether you are doing the same projects in your office or not, make it a point to become acquainted with everyone around you genuinely. What this means is that you can try to mingle with them, or you can get out with them and enjoy their company.
Some examples are:
- Make sure to attend gatherings in the company.
- Stop and talk to people you know along the way; become genuinely interested in their work.
- Ask your workmates some things about themselves – make sure that they are the ones who do the most talking.
Even if someone in your office may not be able to directly help you with your career growth, getting to know them will give you valuable lessons and insights into how the business works, and you will also know what’s going on in your work setting. Start by connecting with individuals that you always come across, and this can result in excellent cooperation later on, especially when you are building your team.
Know when to Refuse a Project
As a leader, everyone around you may consider you the go-to gal or go-to guy who can do everything in the office. You might think that you need to accept the job that comes your way. However, this is not a good situation to be in. If you read the job description of the project and know that it’s not the right time for you to handle it, you will be better off when you don’t accept it.
When you don’t take the projects that you know you can’t handle, you show respect to your clients and colleagues. Instead, they will look for another individual that is more capable of completing the job if you were not the right one for the task.
However, keep in mind that you should never avoid projects because you think it will be too much work for you. You need to be specific and cite why you are not the right person to complete the project. This will allow others to see that you are taking ownership of your schedules. Another thing is that it provides you with a way to deliver high-quality results to others, and you are not just there to rush the job.
You can answer with a simple “no,” and this is already an excellent way for others to take notice of you, especially if, in other circumstances, you are a very agreeable person.
Here are some of the positive ways that you can do to turn down an assignment or project.
- “I’d really be happy to help you out but I myself is just swamped with work as well. Perhaps, I can do it next week, or I can refer you to someone who is capable of getting things done for you. I don’t want to let you down by doing a crummy job just to get the project done within the stated deadline.”
- “I’m flattered that you have thought about me! I wanted to help you out but I got a lot of work on my plate this week. How about we set a quick discussion for the tasks that you wanted done and see if I can help you right on track, that way, you can get everything done before the deadline?”
Work Hard Like Everyone Else
One of the traits that you need to have as a leader is your willingness to work as hard as everyone else. If your teammates are willing to work longer hours, show them that you are with them every step of the way. You need to become an example and show them your willingness to tackle the work and not just sit back and receive undeserving credit for the job done.
When you show your team that you respect them, they will return the respect to you as well.
Offer Solutions to Problems
You might be striving to tackle the issues in your organization before they happen. This is a useful skill, but this isn’t always possible. From time to time, problems occur, and when they do, make sure that you step up with a solution that will significantly improve the situation.
When other people remember you as someone who came up with a solution, you will have an easier time earning your team members’ respect. Some will even recognize you as their leader in the workplace.
Know that you can become a leader in your work setting, it will take effort and time, but everything will be worth it!
