This post, “5 Steps To Help You Earn A Leadership Position”, is the second of a 3 part series based on a presentation I recently gave at a developer conference on the topic of “How to transition from a developer to a leader”. While my specific presentation was directed toward developers, it’s universal for anyone trying to move into a leadership role from a non-leadership role. I’ve removed the developer-specific content so it’s relevant to any profession.
Three Acts and Three Goals
My presentation (and now this blog post series) contains three parts, each with a specific goal:
- Act 1: 6 Facts To Overcome Your Fears Of Becoming A Leader
- My goal: Debunk common leadership fears and increase your leadership interest
- Act 2: 5 Steps To Help You Earn A Leadership Position
- My goal: Provide practical steps for you to successfully make the move to a leadership role
- Act 3: 3 Topics To Help A New Leader Become A Great Leader
- My goal: Provide practical tips for you to succeed in your new role and be a leader worth following
Let’s get to the second act…
Act 2: 5 Steps To Help You Earn A Leadership Position
In this act, my goal is to give you practical steps to take in your journey to get selected for a leadership position. Now that you’ve completed Act 1 and want to pursue a leadership position, begin taking these steps:
- Adopt A Belief Mindset
- Lead From Where You Are
- Look, Observe, Think, & Act With A Bigger Perspective
- Grow Your Skills
- Go Find Leadership Opportunities
1. Adopt A Belief Mindset
This whole process must start with you believing in yourself! You must believe that you can and will become a leader. Belief is a superpower – with it, you can achieve great things, but without it, the odds are against you. It’s like the quote from Henry Ford – “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” It doesn’t mean you’re 100% ready but you must believe that you can and will become a leader. This belief will lead you to the motivation and commitment to do whatever it takes to become a leader.
"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." – Henry Ford Share on XThis step is all about you and your mindset. My son has a book that says “believe in yourself before anyone else can believe in you” and that’s so true even for adults. Believe in yourself, don’t worry about what others think. Believe you will become a leader. Believe you can be a great leader. I believe in you and if you will believe in you, others will too.
2. Lead From Where You Are
One of the best tips I have for aspiring leaders is to start being a leader right now. The truth is that being a leader starts BEFORE you’re in a leadership position. It’s way easier to get a leadership position when you’re already being a leader even when you’re not in charge.
Truth: Being a leader starts BEFORE you're in a leadership position. Share on XYou can do this because leadership is not a title or responsibility. True leadership is influence. It’s the ability to influence team members because they’re willing to allow you to speak into their life and work. It’s the outcome of people following you because they believe you will take them somewhere better. To influence requires a relationship and someone’s trust, not a title. So start building trusted relationships and influencing others now.
3. Have A Leadership Perspective
If you want to be a leader, you need to have the perspective of a leader. This requires that you intentionally look, observe, think, and act differently.
Look
Change your viewpoint so you’re not just looking at work from your current role. The viewpoint of a leader is not just themselves, it’s much bigger. Make your viewpoint more than yourself.
- Look up from your work
- Look around at the whole team
- Look out into the future.
Observe
With a bigger viewpoint, take in what’s going on around you. Notice how things work on your team and in your organization.
- What are your teammates working on?
- What are the processes, systems, tools, and technology that the whole team uses and follows?
- What’s the big picture of your team (mission, vision, plans, goals)?
Think
Next, start to think critically.
- Think harder by devoting time and mind space to process what you’re seeing and observing.
- Think bigger than yourself and come up with ideas about the overall team.
- Think smarter to identify where there are opportunities for the team to improve and get better.
- Think longer-term and create ideas on where the team should be going.
Act
Finally, you have to engage and do something to make a positive difference around you.
- Here are some ways you can “act”: Take ownership and responsibility for something valuable to the whole team. Help those around you. Ask questions and dive deeper into big topics. Find big and small problems you can solve for the good of the team. Take the initiative to make the team better. Be a positive force on your team. Care about the things that impact other team members. Encourage your teammates. Be engaged in team meetings. Challenge others to be the best they can be. Lead meetings. Present on behalf of the team. Train a new team member. Mentor other team members. Teach the team. Own a team process. Organize knowledge sharing sessions. Organize specific project tasks. Lead a project. Organize team events. Ask your leader what they need help with. Volunteer to own something for the team.
4. Grow Your Skills
You must commit to growing yourself in whatever way is necessary to get a leadership position. You have to own your growth. Here are my recommendations:
Be intellectually curious and have a growth mindset
Leaders are constant learners and you need to devote time to your growth.
- Read books, magazines, or blogs
- Listen to books or podcasts
- Watch videos on YouTube
- Take a class
There are so many free or cheap resources publicly available to help you grow it’s unbelievable! (Check out my Resources & Tools page for recommendations) You don’t need to do them all at once but find valuable content and always be growing yourself.
Study leaders in action
Watch what leaders around you do, take notes, and apply them to your leadership. I call it “going to the leadership trait buffet” – observe what you like in others and incorporate those traits into your leadership style…and leave behind what you don’t like or don’t think will be a fit for you.
Interview great leaders
Ask leaders if you can set up some time to ask them questions and learn from them. Most good leaders were helped by others and want to help those coming behind them. Go prepared with an agenda and a list of questions. If you really connect, see the next point.
Find mentors
Find leaders who you connect with and are willing to spend time with you regularly (this could be monthly, quarterly, or even less often) and speak value into your life and career over time. You don’t need to make this an overly formal thing, just ask to meet every so often to share what’s going on in your life/career and seek their input and guidance.
5. Go Find Leadership Opportunities
I’ve seen people sit back and wait for a leadership opportunity to find them or for someone to ask them if they’re interested in being a leader. Or they delay because they don’t think they’re “ready” or because they want to grow/learn more first. Don’t wait! You’ll never be 100% ready.
Take ownership of your career and go find leadership opportunities. Take initiative. Let it be known that you want to be a leader and are motivated to do what it takes to get a leadership opportunity. Start having conversations with leaders around you about what you need to do to become a leader. Apply for leadership jobs. Like Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Go take a shot!
Wayne Gretzky said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Go take a shot! Share on XYou Can Earn A Leadership Position
These 5 steps are not complicated and you can start doing these things right now to help you earn a leadership position. Find small ways to incorporate them into your work and build on them from there. I know you can do these things and if you really want to be a leader, you can make it happen.
If you don’t get a leadership position quickly, that’s okay. Persist. Stay motivated. Keep going. Do steps 1 – 5, then repeat. The speed at which you get a leadership position does not reflect on your leadership potential. Sometimes it just takes time. In the end, it will be worth it!
In the next post, we’ll talk about practical tips for you to succeed in being a new leader.
Cover Photo by Ronaldo de Oliveira on Unsplash