“You never become a follower of a leader, rather you grow to be a leader someday”
Being a leader is all about that one moment which pulls and inspires a person to look up to you, put their trust in you and ultimately become the best version of you or even better.
That one senior colleague, who always volunteered for new tasks, maintained the calm after the storm, lent a ear to the rants of others, took blame and responsibility for the team’s mishaps and slowly grew up to be the one who delegates tasks, pulling the team forward with great inputs. This blog is a result of my inspiration and massive respect for that leader in my life.
Everyone talks about leadership qualities which are highlighted in books or blogs or videos and mostly, in resumes. But do you know how leaders grow themselves? Here are a few experiences of mine and expectations you can avoid, to help you evolve better as a leader.
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Expect no feedbacks or constant monitoring from your seniors
In today’s competitive world, the work you do today might end up replacing you tomorrow and the time it takes to do so is faster than your coffee break. In this case, constant feedback on your performance might seem to help you, but it might eventually slow you down. When you are used to improving yourself based on the feedback you receive, you get used to the cycle of periodic performance growth.The growth that comes out of self-evaluation and upskilling, is what makes you grow as a true leader.
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Expect a NO
Not every day is a bright sunny day at your job. There are days that will be as dark as the storm. There are going to be days when your proposals might get rejected, your ideas might not work or your presentations might not get the reception it intended to. Receiving a negative response to things should never be taken as a downfall rather should be a learning opportunity and should boost you further. Accepting a no and seeing the silver lining of the storm cloud is all that matters to a leader.
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Expect no validations for your emotional highs
Burying a burning rage or an overwhelmingly low feeling from outside of work or within work, might end up ruining a day’s work and getting misfired at people. However, in such a situation, expecting colleagues/ managers to understand your plight might not be an ideal way to work it out ( and yes! everyone has their own hell to walk through).Embracing the emotions is essential to function better at a mental level. Preparing yourself to redirect the emotion by taking a deep breath or confiding in a safe person at work but still creating your boundaries might help you evolve as a better work person.
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Expect no growth out of comparison
Unfortunately, comparison can be a trigger for negative thinking and foster a never-ending stream of negative self-beliefs. Your tasks were given to you, and your colleagues’ tasks were distributed among them for a reason. A common thing to do when we compare ourselves to others is to lose sight of the bigger picture. Comparing yourself leads to your self worth being flung around by the opinion, words and actions of others.Needing the approval of others makes you second guess yourself and your decisions. It drains you of any sense of self and leaves you never quite sure of who you are and what you really want.It all burns down to communication if you are either the leader or the one who is being compared. A clear vision of who and where you want to be motivates you to keep moving forward.
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Expect and endorse good communication
The ability to communicate clearly, concisely and tactfully is a crucial leadership skill. A positive and healthy workplace is created only when communication is transparent and happens two-ways. Being an employee who is able to communicate efficiently and boldly will always pave the way for the future leader in you. You can only do this when you recognize the importance of maintaining an effective leadership communication strategy.
Any organization which is working towards its goal, has a leader who can clearly set those goals, pave the way and can motivate and pull the cart along with the entire team. Being a leader and helping everyone become a leader takes a truck load of motivation, responsibility and expecting all the above unexpected qualities.
And always remember-
“A team is the reflection of its leader”
