“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.”—Rosalynn Carter
Like any speaker worth her salt (especially a speaker who’s the founder of a leadership group), Kathleen McQuiggan came to the Women’s Leadership Symposium armed with her list of things that will make us all better leaders. Kathleen is the founder of Catalina Leadership. Her focus was on the one person that we’ve actually got complete control over: ourselves. As she said, “you have to lead yourself before you can lead others”, so let’s check out the tips she has for those of us who want to control our future.
- Secret sauce. Basically, it’s what makes us…well, us. For example, part of my secret sauce would be that I write about coaching and team dynamics. It’s the part of your story that differentiates you from others who do what you do. The new phrase for it is “personal branding”. She says that focusing on our strengths is the key to finding our secret sauce.
- Defining your goals and objectives. That’s pretty straight forward, right? You know the deal…write ‘em down, put ‘em in view, make ‘em happen.
- Be an expert. I think this is a tough one in athletics because it seems like the game (whatever your game is) is always evolving. So maybe I would change this one to know as much as you can and never stop learning. That doesn’t sound as good as “be an expert” though. As Kathleen says, whatever your business is, know it inside and out.
- Who is on your team? These are the folks that she thinks should be on your personal “team”: Mentors, people who can help you your next career moves and serve as a guiding post. Critics, people who will show you how you’re perceived. Advocates, people who will vouch for you and speak on your behalf based on knowledge of your work. Sponsors, there’s been lots of talk about sponsors lately. They’re supposed to be infinitely better than mentors because they’re willing to stick out their necks to make sure you get a job. They’re typically more senior, more established, and have way more clout than you do. Note to self: Go get a sponsor!
- A self-assessment. Kathleen used a great quotation to highlight this one. “If you don’t know where you are, a map won’t help.” Give yourself a good, honest once over and figure out where your career is and then develop a plan to get where you want to be.
I suppose doing all of this stuff will ensure that you are a confident leader for your team. The added bonus will be that you’ll be able to lead your career in the direction that you’d like it to go!
Part 1: 3 Steps To Becoming A Successful Leader
Part 2: These 3 Little Letters Could Hold The Key To Your Success As A Leader
Part 3: 3 Keys To Building Collaboration Within A Competitive Culture
Part 4: 5 Steps To Land Your Dream Job
Part 6: Networking For Introverts: It’s Not As Bad As You Think
