What got you here, won’t get you there.
The leadership skills that got you to this point of success need to be retooled as you ramp up your business.
Scaling up your organisation demands that you lead leaders who will be responsible for your growing team’s outcomes. And this means you can’t be across all projects and workstreams. Decisions are made without your stamp on it. And things will just get done differently.
Presenting The Executive Toolkit –
“An executive toolkit equips leaders and teams with knowledge, capabilities and tools to drive strategy, organisation and processes for a better and more efficient framework for work life.”
– Dana Lightbody
Here is the first of a series of blogs that will highlight individual “tools” – skills, knowledge and expertise – to complete your powerful arsenal of leadership abilities.
So how will you retool your Executive Toolkit so that you empower your people and get out of the way of good work? The most challenging thing about scaling up is finding the balance between ensuring that your team stays on-course and stepping aside to watch them work their magic.
Leadership Tool #1 – INFLUENCING
Your job as a leader is to get everyone on the same page. Simple enough, but not as easy as your organisation grows. When you are past the point of knowing the names of all the people who work for you, how can you get all of them in-sync with the company’s goals?
Influencing means getting your values and principles to spread so that your entire team operates as one mind, body and spirit. Sounds like leading a cult, but that’s mostly what a company is.
And like any good cult leader with sharp influencing skills, you should be able to move your team with a light touch. Here’s a quick 4-way test to assess how good you are at influencing —
- Psychological Safety
Does your team seek you out for honest feedback?
- Inspired Excellence
Does your team consistently deliver beyond expectation WITHOUT your involvement?
- Code of Discipline
Does your team get projects done without you having to follow them up?
- Active Engagement
Does your team regularly come forward with great ideas?
If you answered ‘yes’ to all four questions, congratulations, your team understands the company values from which your mighty power of influence is built on.
Next on the Leadership Tool Kit Series #2 – Navigating
Read more about Developing Your Executive Toolkit by Dana Lightbody
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