Secure Your Career in 2023
For any leader, you may have spent years honing your technical skills in your chosen field. And while technical expertise is certainly important, it's not enough to guarantee your success at any level.
One of the main reasons for this is that your technical skills don't necessarily prepare you for the complex interpersonal dynamics that come with all work, and especially in leadership roles.
Sure, your technical expertise may be top-notch, but can you:
Communicate effectively with your team?
Inspire and motivate others to achieve a common goal?
Navigate the often-conflicting interests of various stakeholders?
In addition, technical skills are typically focused on a specific area of expertise, and to be successful you need to understand the bigger picture and how your work fits into it. In addition, you also need to be able to motivate and manage people with different and diverse skill sets and backgrounds.
This is particularly true for people in leadership positions and requires alternative and varied skills that are not related to your functional expertise.
In fact, I would argue that a truly exceptional leader can lead in any business or function regardless of their technical expertise – that’s how I would define “pure” leadership. You can likely learn technical skills quote rapidly, but there are different skills needed to succeed as a leader.
What is Needed
To truly succeed, you need to develop your leadership leverage.
But what does that mean, exactly?
In my opinion, leadership leverage refers to your ability to influence others and achieve desired outcomes through effective leadership.
It's about getting things done through other people, rather than relying solely on your own technical abilities.
It’s about authentically and effectively influencing and motivating others to achieve desired outcomes.
These skills include effective communication, emotional intelligence, coaching and mentoring, strategic thinking, and networking.
And they are an essential component of successful leadership.
Why These Skills Are Essential for Career Success
In the past, "soft skills" were often viewed as optional or "nice to have" qualities for professionals. However, the modern workplace has shifted, and these skills are now essential for career success.
Here's why:
Collaboration is Key: In today's workplace, collaboration is more important than ever before.
With teams increasingly comprised of individuals with diverse skill sets, backgrounds, and perspectives, the ability to work effectively with others is critical. This requires strong communication skills, emotional intelligence, and the ability to coach and mentor others.
Technological Advancement Can Outpace Your Expertise: In today's fast-paced and ever-changing work environment, professionals need to be able to adapt quickly to new situations, navigate complex interpersonal dynamics, and effectively manage teams.
Take the AI advancements that we are currently seeing. With the pace of advancement of this technology, your strategic through leadership is more important than ever, and your ability to relate to people is even more important as a counterbalance to ensure ongoing relevance.
The Importance of Emotional Intelligence (EQ): Emotional intelligence is increasingly viewed as a critical skill for career success. And this EQ is steeped in exquisite self-awareness. Professionals with high emotional intelligence are better equipped to build relationships, navigate conflicts, and inspire and motivate others.
This is particularly important in leadership roles, where the ability to understand and manage one's own emotions, as well as the emotions of others, is key.
The Need for Strategic Thinking: As organisations become more complex and global, the ability to think strategically is increasingly important.
Leaders need to be able to understand the big picture, anticipate future trends and challenges, and develop long-term plans to achieve their goals. This requires strong strategic thinking skills, as well as the ability to communicate those plans effectively to others.
Networking is Essential: Building a strong professional network is essential for career success. Professionals who are well-connected are better able to access new opportunities, stay up to date on industry trends and best practices, and build their personal brand as a leader.
This requires strong networking skills, as well as the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with others.
Developing Your Leadership Leverage
So, how can you develop your leadership leverage?
Here are a few key areas to focus on:
Communication: Effective communication is essential for building relationships, inspiring others, and achieving desired outcomes. As an aspiring leader, you need to work on developing both your verbal and written communication skills.
Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence refers to your ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. Leaders with high emotional intelligence are better able to build relationships, navigate conflicts, and inspire and motivate others.
Coaching and Mentoring: Coaching and mentoring involve working with others to help them reach their full potential. Leaders who are effective coaches and mentors are better able to build strong teams and achieve desired outcomes.
Strategic Thinking: Strategic thinking involves understanding the big picture and developing long-term plans for achieving desired outcomes. Leaders who are effective strategic thinkers are better able to navigate complex situations and make decisions that benefit their organisation.
Networking: Building your network and developing strong relationships with others in your field is essential for gaining access to new opportunities, staying up-to-date on industry trends and best practices, and building your personal brand as a leader.
While technical skills are important for career success particularly early on in your career, they are no longer enough.
To truly succeed, you need to develop your leadership leverage by focusing on communication, emotional intelligence, coaching and mentoring, strategic thinking, and networking. By doing so, you'll be better equipped to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics, build strong teams, and achieve your goals as a leader.
