Fundamental Advice for a Young Leader
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During a brief chat on Twitter the other evening, Noah Lomax challenged me with the following question.
"Any fundamental advice you would give to a young leader who wants to develop leadership ability?"
I told him that had to think about it before I answered. Here's my best shot.
Figure out whether you like the role of leader before you a commit to a career of formal leadership roles. Leadership is a kind of work. Not everyone likes it, so find out if you do by trying on the role in temporary and volunteer assignments.
Make a deliberate, concentrated effort to get better. Marshal all the resources you can, but remember the basic learning cycle: decide-try-critique-repeat. You won't learn much without doing, but you will learn more, faster, if you supplement doing with planning and reflection.
Most great leaders are also good managers and supervisors. All three kinds of work come with the job. Master them all.
This is a people game. People with their knowledge and relationships are the only source of sustainable competitive advantage. Master the arts of relationships and communication. Learn to help others develop their knowledge and relationships.
At the end of your career you are likely to look back and assess how things went. Here's what you will probably find. I hope the following observations will help you make better choices along the way.
You are more likely to regret the things you failed to try than the things that didn't turn out as you expected. So try stuff.
You are less likely to remember the details of your triumphs than the people who were with you at the time. So work on relationships.
You are more likely to measure the impact of your life by its affect on other people's lives than by counting the trophies in your trophy case. So concentrate on contribution.
Good luck.
Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.
Categories: Personal Development
Tags: Personal Development Leadership
What fantastic advice. Thank you! As a young leader that has just gained her first General Manager role this sort of general advice is really helpful. I find that by focusing on the things you mentioned above I find the job more meaningful and my failures (of which I'm sure many young leaders have probably lost count) far less painful.
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Thanks Emma. I'm sure that you're excited about what you've achieved so far. I wish you fair winds and following seas.
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Good post. One thing many young leaders do not realize is that they serve their employees - not the other way around. I like your comment "This is a people game." Leadership (like all relationships) is built on trust. If your people do not trust you - they will never follow you (at least not for long).
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Good points, Mike. Thanks for sharing them.
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Wally, I never imagined receiving such a detailed answer. I'm really thankful for the great thought you put into this. Not only will I benefit from it, but many others my age will learn and desire to learn from those who have gone before us. I'm excited about this work!
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I'm thrilled that it's helpful for you, Noah, especially because it was your question that sparked the post. Great thanks.
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I am 30 years old and this is the kind of article i really admire. Thanks Wally.
Simple words, simple ideas, terribly true !
At the end, you remember the people. I can only imagine but I would love that kind of end where 5000 people would gather and just say : "he lead us, he was a good man".
Thanks Again (and Thanks also to @Noah for asking the kind of question only leaders ask)
Take Care Guys
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Thank you, Mohamed. I don't know if you'll ever see the 5000 gathered, but you won't miss it. Instead there will be an email that says, "You may not remember me" or "You don't know this, but…" For me, the most thrilling thing is to witness someone I've helped do well and help others. I wish that for you.
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Thanks for the kind words Mohamed. I am thankful for people who take questions like that serious. How can we learn without those going before us being willing to share their wisdom & experiences? Blessings!
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I think leadership is more than a job. It can be a way of life. From the way you act and treat others, a leader can be easily spotted amongst others. Being a leader doesn't only mean taking up a role in management. It also means you have to think differently and act differently.
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Thank you for sharing those observations, Harry.
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Wise words. Some people are paralyzed by inaction and at the end of the journey regret the things they did not try or were too wary to even think about despite having a strong desire to make change.
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Thanks for sharing that, Michael.
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