Welcome to our Summer 2024 Leadership Journey: Finding Your Voice as a Leader. We’ll kick off the summer by laying the groundwork for your leadership journey. In July, we’ll get into the weeds about discovering and honing your unique leadership style. We’ll wrap up the summer series in August by tackling Imposter Syndrome head-on.
Leadership Fundamentals
Can anyone be a leader? While there are certainly people who have more innate leadership qualities than others, the truth is that anyone can step into a leadership role, or at the very least, improve their leadership abilities. When we say “anyone,” we mean individuals who have the desire, drive, and commitment to develop new skills. Leadership ability cannot be forced or bestowed upon a person, but it can most definitely be developed. The first crucial ingredient is the desire for self-improvement.
The Building Blocks of Leadership
One way to start cultivating your leadership ability is by learning specific skills and behaviors. For instance, during my time in the U.S. Marine Corps, I gained valuable insights from the Marines’ 14 Leadership Traits and 11 Leadership Principles. As a young adult preparing to become a Marine Officer, I absorbed these traits and principles; which now form the foundation of my leadership style and my beliefs about effective leadership. Like any new skill or behavior, these require practice, repetition, and most likely some missteps. In next month’s blog, we will take a closer look at ways to develop and cultivate your unique leadership style. But first, let’s lay the groundwork for what it means to be an effective leader.
Harnessing the Power of Books
You don’t have to join the Marines to master leadership. Reading is an excellent way to learn, and there is no shortage of great books to choose from. Consider starting with a classic like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker, or The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell. These books broaden your perspective on different leadership styles and sharpen your critical thinking skills. With so many wonderful leadership books, the toughest part might be deciding where to begin. Hint: just pick a book and dive in!
If you aren’t immediately drawn to the idea of sitting down to read a book about leadership, try starting with audiobooks or podcasts. Not sure where to begin? Check out Dare to Lead with Brené Brown, WorkLife with Adam Grant, and The Jocko Podcast. The great news is that most podcasts are free, so if one doesn’t resonate, just switch to another.
Leadership Through Observational Learning
Another valuable way to learn about leadership is through observation. Pay attention to those around you and you’ll quickly amass examples of both good and bad leadership. It can be easier to start with negative examples. If you’re unsure what good leadership looks like, identify what it isn’t. It seems we’ve all had negative experiences with leaders, so pay attention to what didn’t work and why you perceive these “what NOT to do” examples to be less than ideal.
Decoding Leadership Styles
Our final recommendation for today is to gain an understanding of different leadership styles. Examples of leadership styles include, but are not limited to: Servant Leadership, Democratic, Transformational, Authoritative, and Visionary. While there’s no single source of information on these leadership styles, the goal is to acquire a broad overview rather than delving deeply. The point is to become familiar with the various leadership styles; and to begin considering the merits of each, while contemplating their respective strengths and weaknesses. A simple internet search for “leadership styles” will yield more than enough results to get you started.
Avoid falling into the trap of believing there’s a “best” leadership style. Next month, we’ll shift our focus to self-discovery and explore how each of us can uncover our unique leadership style — our authentic voice — that maximizes our effectiveness as leaders.
Can’t wait until then? Book a free consultation with Luminology to learn how to become a better leader today.
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