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Are You Ready To Lead?
Leading can appear really easy when you are on the outside looking in. The reality is however very different.
I often think of leading a bit like mountain climbing. Once you reach one peak there is another to be conquered. There is always another challenge waiting for you.
People often ask me what it takes to lead. The question is simple enough but the answer is a bit more difficult.
For me, success in leading is about having the right combination of:
- Skills
- Experience
- Knowledge and
- Personal qualities
So let’s look at these in a little bit more detail.
Skills
While there are many skills you need to master, some of the essential skills in my experience are:
- The ability to communicate effectively
- A good understanding of the basics of finance
- The essentials of marketing
- Strategy and planning
- Sales
- Change
Experience
Often people are caught out by climbing too far too fast. Some things only come with experience and experience only comes when you have the opportunity to try new things out. Even if your intention is to work in a particular industry, sector or function, I think it is always useful to get perspectives from other sectors.
Knowledge
The best leaders I worked and work with have that unique blend of being experts in their own area and a good working knowledge of other areas.
Personal Qualities
For anyone who aspires to lead, I truly believe that having the right personal qualities is probably the most important thing you can have. It’s your self belief, self confidence and the ability to engage and inspire others that will make all of the difference to delivering results.
The Bottom Line: Everyone has the potential to lead. The question is are you ready to capitalise on your potential?
Duncan Brodie helps accountants achieve their career and professional potential by helping them move from technical expert to leader. He invites you to check out his free training resources
About the Author Duncan Brodie
Since 2006 I’ve worked with in excess of 8,000 accountants and professionals in workshops, seminars and one to one helping them land their next jobs and become better leaders, presenters and business partners. Before that I spent 25 years in accountancy climbing the career ladder from Payments Clerk to FD. I’m a CIMA Fellow, Certified Professional Coach and Team Coach Facilitator.