No matter what level you may be in your organization, there are opportunities to act like a leader. But I’m just a low level employee with no power, you might say. How could I be leader? And moreover, why should I take on leadership responsibilities – especially when I’m not given the title or money to go along with those responsibilities?
In the past, the term leadership was often reserved for those who are in positions of power, for those that oversee people, departments, and operations. But this, I believe, is not an accurate perception of leadership. We are all given the power to be leaders – to own our thoughts and actions, and truly drive success for both our organizations and ourselves.
Key qualities of leadership, such as communication, the ability to inspire, confidence, and commitment, naming just a few, are not just for CEOs or vice-presidents. (There are many articles outlining leadership traits such as this Forbes article). These are often qualities that many people do exert in their daily lives to some degree whether they are parents, marathon runners, or organizing a family reunion, but haven’t truly recognized in themselves. For some reason, once these same people enter the work environment, filled with hierarchy and titles, they think about and live these qualities very differently.
We can each be leaders within our own right, at whatever position we may occupy at work. And there are several benefits to acting like a leader to benefit both yourself and your organization. Here are five reasons to start acting like a leader today.
Become more productive
Acting like a leader changes your mindset. It becomes more apparent that there are things to do and goals to accomplish. This brings you to action. Acting translates into doing, and this helps you get things done and become more constructive and productive in the process.
Achieve your goals
By virtue of being productive, you are better positioned to achieve your goals. Acting like a leader brings into focus what needs to get done and helps you clearly define near-term and long-term goals. Being productive, defining goals, and achieving results turns into a positive cycle, which boosts your confidence and further encourages the same behaviour. What you thought you should and could do becomes action-oriented goals setting and achievement.
Create opportunities
Acting like a leader means taking the initiative, searching for solutions, and understanding what your resources and options are. It also means looking at things from different perspectives and integrating information across subject areas. The curiosity and resourcefulness that is required to act like a leader can lead you to create additional opportunities as you act on immediate opportunities.
Think like a leader
According to Herminia Ibarra, an expert on professional leadership and development and author of Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader, “people become leaders by doing leadership work.” So instead of thinking like a leader first and acting like one later, getting to action first will clear the path to truly thinking like a leader. As you act like a leader and take control of your job, you will learn how to think like a leader in order to resolve challenges and take advantage of opportunities.
Become the leader
Acting like a leader will help you to eventually become the leader. Your behaviours, thoughts, and results will attract the attention of others in your organization and network as well as the deserved recognition and treatment. Over time, you will also develop those qualities that you admire in certain leaders as you practice and hone your skills.
As you build your reputation as a leader, be prepared for the additional opportunities and accompanying rewards to come your way, reinforcing you to act like a leader.
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