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How To Stand Out As A Leader
Leading is one of those really odd areas.
Many professionals spend all of their career climbing the career ladder, moving closer to a position of leadership and influence.
Only to discover that when they get there it’s not as rosy in the garden as they once thought.
As well as having more rewards there is also much bigger risks and of course your reputation can easily be left in tatters.
I’m often asked about standing out as a leader and if I’m honest among professionals it’s probably easier than it first seems.
So what would I suggest?
Step Up To The Plate
They say if you can’t stand the heat stay out of the kitchen.
For me this is a great way of looking at leadership.
If you want the rewards you have to be willing to take responsibility.
You have to be willing to step up and make things happen.
Create A Great Team
It doesn’t matter how good you are.
There is a big constraint which you’re dealing with called time.
You can only do so much each week, month, quarter and year.
Creating and leveraging the real potential of your teams is what really helps you to deliver better results consistently.
Get Comfortable With Uncertainty
It goes with territory.
Leading is unpredictable and things never run smoothly for very long.
Rather than trying to change something outside of your control focus on navigating through the challenging times.
Deliver On What You Promise
This enhances your reputation and builds credibility.
Equally promising then not delivering does the complete opposite.
Stay Focused On What Matters
Understand and really pay attention to the key drivers of success.
Be Resilient
Whenever you’re trying to achieve something there are going to be highs and lows.
Periods where you make great strides forward and other times when you just seem to go backwards.
It’s resilience that gets you through these tough times.
Truth is leading can be hugely rewarding and by doing some simple things you really can stand out in my experience.
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.