A lot of people aspire to positions of leadership in their place of business. And this is a good thing. The success of any organization is largely dependent on the quality of its leaders.
So how do you become a leader at your company? A good place to start would be to ask those in management positions above you how you can be promoted. One of the best ways to get on their radar is to simply let them know that you are interested in moving up in the company. There a lot of actionable steps that could be listed here, but there isn’t enough space to give them all justice. So let’s just focus on the three most important steps you need to take to become a leader.
Never Compromise Your Integrity
To be a leader you must become a person of complete integrity. Your character must be above reproach. To be an effective leader you must be trusted completely, and there is no getting around this.
There will be times when you are tempted to cut corners. You must resist those temptations. You might be asked to do something that you know is unethical. You must refuse. You might even have opportunities to cheat and get away with it. But you can never do this. Maintain your integrity, and be a person that everyone can trust. This is your best bet for getting where you want to go in your career.
Always Focus on High-Value Activities
Some leaders are not very effective because they waste time pursuing activities that keep them busy without achieving significant results. You must focus on getting results. To accomplish this you must be constantly focusing your time and attention on the highest-value tasks while delegating lower-value tasks to other employees.
If you are currently an entry-level employee, then of course you must focus on the low-value tasks so that your boss can focus on the higher value tasks that require her attention. Always ask for more work. Always try to do more than is expected. Always try to make your boss’ job easier.
Never Stop Learning
You must always seek to upgrade your knowledge and skills within your industry. Your goal should be to become an indispensable member of your organization. Don’t settle for just knowing how to do your own job. Learn how your work fits together with what everyone else in the company is doing.
If your company has training materials and handbooks, devour them. But don’t stop there. Expand your knowledge base by reading trade journals and other publications within your industry. If you have the opportunity to go to training seminars, then do that. If you can get an executive coach or mentor from a company like Ace-Up who will guide your development and help push you to higher levels, then you should do that too.
Every organization needs good leaders. Your industry as a whole requires genuine experts and leaders of the highest caliber. In order for you to become that kind of leader, follow the three steps above and always push yourself to do more than is required. This is the fastest and surest way for you to get to the top.
