If you are looking for ways to add value to your work, one of the most reliable ways is to develop your personal leadership skills. Almost anyone can do so, according to Wally Bock, leadership expert and author.
Bock distinguishes between two types of leadership: The first is the traditional type, where someone is formally in charge of an organization, operation, department or team and is compensated based on the results he or she achieves in that role. The second, personal leadership, is not dependent upon whether or not you actually serve in a leadership role. Rather, it’s a matter of attitude and service.
“You really enhance your possibilities if you are exhibiting leadership characteristics and leadership behavior early – so that people can see you are a leader before they have to take a chance on you., Bock explains.
Personal leadership characteristics
Here are some of the characteristics of someone who is displaying personal leadership:
Strategic mindset: They view the business from the mindset of someone two levels above them. In other words, rather than a granular, task oriented view they think about and brainstorm about broader strategic issues facing the business.
People builder: They seek to build up and encourage their coworkers or team members. A leader is a people builder. Even if you’re not a leader or manager by job title, you can still grow your leadership capacity by supporting your coworkers and members of your team. Don’t compete with them, bad mouth them to the boss or attempt to undermine them, but rather build them up. That will make them more likely to support you when you need help – and if and when you are promoted to a formal leadership role.
Comfortable giving performance feedback: He or she is comfortable talking to others about their behavior or performance, and wishes to help others succeed.
Committed to growth of skills and relationships: Personal leaders seek to build their skills and relationships, the two things that they can influence in their position. “As you progress through life and through a career, what you have learned and the relationships you have give you both support and opportunity,” he adds.
Personal leaders are go-givers: Personal leaders are focused on contribution, not on compensation. Their focus is clearly outside of themselves, upon cultivating their team, their relationships, their friends, their coworkers and they bring their very best to their work every day.
Not surprisingly, developing others is a key skill of formal leaders. If you can display this quality in your current role, it will mark you in the eyes of senior management as a leader in the making, and someone to whom they need to pay attention.
Emerging: A new model of selecting leaders
Despite all the talk in the business media about how hard it is to attract top-notch talent, Bock believes this is not a problem for great bosses and leaders. “Everyone recognizes their qualities and wants to be part of their team. Great bosses have no problem attracting quality people.”
Why is this important? Because companies are looking for other ways to select leaders, Bock predicts. Traditionally, the leader of an organization was selected by people above him or her. Today, the trend is for the people you serve to select you as a leader. In our increasingly networked world, workers have a keen sense for who is intelligent, levelheaded and has their best interests at heart. And they are more likely to follow and support that person.
“I think followers are wise about those who not only will make a good boss but who want to be a good boss. I’m not so sure that the people above are as knowledgeable or can make as good a prediction,” Bock says.
The take-away? Even if you’re not in a paid leadership role, try to adopt the characteristics that will make your team mates want to support and follow you. Develop other people, because they are the one asset that will always appreciate, if they are well led:
“Your people, unless you stop them, will grow, develop, learn, create knowledge and develop relationships – and they will be more valuable a year from now than they are today,” Bock concludes.
Bock was interviewed as part of a podcast series being conducted by Chuck Frey, author of the new book Up Your Impact: 52 Innovative Strategies to Add Value to Your Work. It is accessible to anyone who purchases the e-book and its associated resources. For more information, visit the Up Your Impact book website.
