While everyone aspires to take on a leadership position, not many evaluate the challenges it entails and are in for a not-so-pleasant surprise.
All of us like to believe that we deserve a promotion for the excellent performance rendered through the year. While some are lucky to get recognised, there are many who are not. Nevertheless, in this whole mad race to climb the success ladder, we often forget about the challenges the new position will bring. In other words, none of us really plan our promotions, and are in for a shock soon after stepping into the new role!
TALKING BUSINESS
Of course every position comes with its share of challenges, In todays scenario a position leap is very rare. So as you climb each step you learn the nuances of the job. Therefore, there is a need to prepare oneself per se. Its a gradual growth and learning will happen once you are in the pool because until then you will never know how cold the water is.
While young professionals are confident of their abilities to take on new challenges, the reasons are bizarre as this confidence is not rooted in their abilities or domain knowledge. In other words, most young executives feel that they can or rather they must pull off a challenging leadership role effectively because they need to be in a better position in society and have a fancy pay package. Not many, however, seem to be aware of the importance of understanding the responsibilities that it entails as most young executives justify their stand.
As long as you are going to hold yourself back because of the fear of failure, you are not going to succeed. Believe in the go-get-it mantra, and have Success. Dont think much before taking up any responsibility because, the more you think, the more you get confused and consequently the fear factor increases, reducing productivity. Every failure is a learning process, so why fear
PICTURE PERFECT
While there is no denying the fact that confidence can take you a long way, the criterion for donning a leaders hat cannot be limited to just that as it requires much more. To begin with, answer this question: What does leadership mean to you? Most people are blinded by the fancy designation and remuneration. The usual presumption is that its a fancy position that entitles them to certain powers which in turn places them in a superior position than others. You get certain powers, but with that comes the responsibility of empowering team members and facilitating growth as an individual, a team and an organisation. Therefore, you need to strike the right balance. The question then is: are you ready for action Great leaders have had to grow to reach the stage they have. Its important to have a vision and a hard core plan to achieve it. This requires commitment, compromises and sacrifices; be prepared. No one becomes a great leader overnight. Building trust among team members and keeping them motivated is a continual process. In the bargain, you may have to sacrifice certain personal preferences.
GET SET
As stated earlier, while confidence can keep you going, before you take on the position of a leader its best to reflect on your abilities and understand your strengths and weaknesses. Set your priorities straight, and analyse your impediments. These could range from time constraints to domestic obligations. Evaluate yourself. It demands more work hours, more commitment, more domain knowledge, people management skills, time management skills, motivational skills, the ability to manage your personal life along with additional corporate responsibilities and the list just goes on! While its true that you will never know how cold the water is unless you get into it, it is important to know if the water is indeed cold oris it warm! warns Parekh as she winds up.
