In a recent article in the Training Journal – TJ December 2015, I came across a set of top tips for aspiring professionals in leadership and management, by Simon Gibson.
I firmly believe there is always something new to learn and a wealth of perspectives out there which we can benefit from! I hope you like these as much as I did…
- Be comfortable with who you are…balance the feedback you get and be good and being you. Being comfortable in your own skin will lead to a better you more of the time.
- Be brave. At some point in your life and career you are going to have to step outside that comfort zone and make a choice that feels uncomfortable. Be brave – you never know it might be the best choice you ever made.
- Don’t let other people limit you. Building on the above, work out what you want to do and, if it’s within your power, go for it. There is always choice, but sometimes people will make you feel like there is not.
- Get good at learning something new… the skill to acquire a new piece of knowledge/behaviour/approach is key if you want to keep progressing in this world of work. If you don’t, that’s also OK, but still get good at learning and know what works for you and what doesn’t.
- It’s OK to play! As adults and in work environments we quickly lose the ability to play, experiment and get curious about something new. It works and helps us learn, so try it out.
- Put time and energy into your network. It’s important to really build a strong and dependable network that one day you may need to really lean on and one day someone will really need to lean on you.
- Don’t be afraid to work out loud. You don’t have to have all the answers…let people know what you are working on, what troubles you and how might they approach it. They may not have the answer but might know someone who does.
- Look outside your normal place of work. Get out of the same old routine. There is a wealth of learning around us about smarter ways of working. Take a look around, see what spikes your interest and if you could apply some of the learning back in your organisation.
- Get digital...this is a behaviour and way of working that isn’t going away. Get involved, play with it and see how it can make a difference to you.
- Be kind. It’s not tough, we all have it within us and you never know when you may come across someone again and you might really need them.
Ken Blanchard on Leadership