You don’t have to be a manager to be a leader
Management is much more than formal titles. It is a behaviour and a range of skills that are becoming increasingly important in companies. First you need to know your starting point.
What is management?
Think about it for a second. Do your thoughts automatically wander towards prestige, power, good pay and C-Suite titles? If that is the case, then you are no different from many others who automatically write off management as they do not experience a match with their personal values. Management is much more than the stereotypes and prejudices with which we often associate it. It has to do with self-awareness and your behaviour and ability to form relationships. Both professionally and privately.
Leadership is self-awareness
What experiences in your life have made you who you are today – and how does that manifest itself?
Leadership is very much about being aware of yourself and knowing why you think and act the way you do. With increased self-awareness, you will be able to create the best conditions for leading yourself in different situations.
- Is there a specific reason why you are motivated by the things you do?
- What story are you telling others about yourself?
- What experiences have influenced your self-image?
By getting to know yourself better on a deeper level, you will be able to identify patterns, which are essential knowledge in a management context. In addition to being able to identify your strengths and weaknesses, you will also learn more about your values, beliefs, reaction patterns and generally become more aware of your behaviour. You will get a personal starting point that you can continuously return to and develop.
The Greek philosopher, Heractilus, has been quoted as saying that ´change is the only constant in life´. If change is with us all the time, it is necessary that we continually revisit ourselves. In this way, we will strengthen our ability to handle life’s ups and downs and create meaning.
When was the last time you allocated time to reflect with yourself about yourself?
Your behaviour and ability to form relationships
Your life story is complex. The events that have made you who you are are complex. However, you are not the only one with a complex life story. Your friends, your family, your colleagues – everyone carries around stories that are also complex and defining for their way of thinking and acting. To succeed as a leader, recognizing our complexity and differences is the first step on the road to forming meaningful relationships.
By approaching others with that realization, you will be able to strengthen your empathy, which is an essential management skill. With a strengthened empathy, you will also be better equipped to tackle other facets of the ‘leadership role’ such as conflict management, feedback, delegation, listening, motivation and the creation of community.
When was the last time you asked a question to your friend, family or colleague where you wanted to get to know them on a deeper level?
Both professionally and privately
Whether you want to strengthen your self-awareness or your ability to form relationships and collaborate, there are many tools and methods you can get started with. Building leadership skills takes time, but you don’t need a management title to learn how to use them professionally and personally. You already do.
