Too often, people are promoted to leadership and then left alone to sink or swim. In fact, one survey found that 85% of new managers have never received formal training.
And it is an increasingly pressing issue, because leadership today is arguably harder than it’s ever been. The workplace is increasingly polarized—creating challenges to lead teams and bring people together. Plus, business has become increasingly competitive, cutthroat, and fast-moving—making it harder to lead innovation and deliver results with the necessary speed. And the talent market is extremely tight. This means that the pressure is on leaders to select, hire, and retain people more effectively.
The bottom line: Leadership is difficult and the days of having a copious time to be thoroughly trained are gone. Today, leaders have to learn fast.
Luckily, there are a few primary ways to grow your skills as a leader—and do it quickly.
Learn from other leaders
One of the best ways to learn how to be a great leader is to seek out leaders that you admire. The most effective way we learn is through watching, listening to, and experiencing other people. We do this subconsciously, but you can focus and be intentional about it as well.
Identify the person you admire, who is regularly recognized and promoted and who everyone wants to work for. Watch what they do and how they behave. Pay attention to the choices they make and how they communicate. Then, model your own efforts based on what you see from them. You’re not trying to be them instead of yourself, but you can inform your own actions based on what you see is working for them.
Be sure to identify people who are successful within your organization’s culture. Various cultures value different kinds of behaviors. For example, some organizations reward those who are quick, assertive, and firm, while others may prefer people who take a more deliberate, measured, or humble approach. Choose leaders you respect and who are successful within the organization where you also want to succeed.
Also find leaders who match your values. There may be leaders who are successful in the company but who lack integrity or aren’t aligned with your ideals—and obviously, these aren’t the people you’ll want to emulate.
Ensure you are still authentically yourself, but also continually improving based on learning from great leaders’ examples.
Read, stream, and follow
Another surefire way to learn to be a great leader is to expose yourself to best practices in leadership.
Learn about all kinds of leadership approaches. Sign up for training on leadership. Expose yourself to different leadership models, strategies, and practices. Read books, scan blogs, stream podcasts, and follow the best and the brightest people. Focus on those who are sharing their thinking about the future of your industry and profession—and how to succeed in today’s world.
Be curious about a broad array of leadership-oriented topics and immerse yourself in each. Personalize what you’re hearing by asking yourself how it matters to you and what you agree and disagree with. Reflect on what you learn and then put things into practice. Take action, experiment, and continuously hone and improve your own ideas and ideals.
Also find mentors and develop relationships with people who can guide you, keep you grounded, and give you perspective based on their experience and expertise. Reach out to people within your organization who know the culture, but also those outside the company who can give you fresh perspectives and objective views.
Tune in and read the room
The best leaders are emotionally intelligent. And one of the things most likely to undermine your success as a leader is if you’re tone deaf—and can’t respond to what’s going on around you. Be sure you are intentional about tuning into the situations you’re faced with and be self aware about how you’re being received.
Watch for how leaders respond when you make a point. Pay attention to how your teammates react when you’re communicating with them. You’re not seeking to be constantly liked, but you do want to ensure that you’re able to communicate in a way that people can hear and that you’re empathetic at the same time you’re influential.
Proximity is one of the most important determinants of relationships—so stay in touch with people and check in regularly. In addition, be present and accessible, as it’s one of the fastest ways to develop trust as a leader
Adjust your style to the situation. For example, if you’re working with people who are senior in their careers and already great performers, you may want to delegate more. Whereas if you’re working with people who have just joined your team or who are less experienced, you will want to provide more coaching and support.
People don’t trust what they don’t understand—so be consistent and predictable in your approach and demeanor. At the same time, demonstrate that you can be adaptable in how you support people and solve problems.
Leadership involves balance. You’ll need to be confident and competent as well as humble and open to other opinions. You’ll need to be predictable at the same time you’re responding with agility to changes around you. You’ll need to be firm and hold people accountable at the same time you’re patient and supportive.
You can find this right balance by reading the rooms you’re in—and ensuring you’re meeting people where they are and doing your best to move things forward. People won’t expect you to be perfect, but they want to know you care about making progress and improving.
Finally, ask for feedback. Even if your organization doesn’t have a lot of formal ways to obtain feedback, be sure you’re seeking it—and use it to improve all the time. This can help you better understand your performance and how your team is fairing.
You’ll succeed as a leader when you’re willing to step forward, be proactive, and take smart chances. Leaning into a leadership role even without a lot of formal training is a great example of this.
When you’re intentional and committed to doing your best, you’ll succeed for sure—and you’ll be ready to coach and guide the next new leader who comes after you.
