Catching the Leadership Sun
Shining as a leader is not impossible, even
if the position you currently hold in an organization does not require
you to guide others. Your leadership first
has to start shining for you before it can for anyone else.
Remember, it's not just guiding people that
marks you as a good leader: it may very well be the way you guide
yourself that draws admiration and recognition from others.
So, let's consider some ways in which you can
catch the leadership sun, even if you are not the highest branch (yet)
in the corporate tree:
Your will catch the leadership sun sooner or later
if you do your job with just a little bit more diligence than others,
and are willing to go just one mile further than the rest.
Your will catch the leadership sun sooner or later
if you give your very best, even to projects that do not really represent
what you would like to identify with. You have to start somewhere,
after all, and someone's got to do the crappy stuff. If you excel
at it and set the bar high, though, crappy may turn into classy!
Your will catch the leadership sun sooner or later
if you are willing to take on challenges before you really know if
you can handle them - yet with one conviction: you got what it takes
to succeed, because you are a driver, and are not afraid to ask for
help or clarification when you need it. These two factors, help and
clarification, are the keys to success in any project, even those
projects that you doubt being able to handle.
Your will catch the leadership sun sooner or later
if you don't worry about what others say but, in spite of their discouraging
whispers about your no-fun attitude, just give your best at all times.
The great socializers around you usually waste a lot of precious time
gossiping and aimlessly chattering instead of producing.
Your will catch the leadership sun sooner or later
if you don't fall into the codependency trap, which is the harbor
for the above mentioned socializers: It's the best way to stay out
of trouble and refrain from being accused of what he said that she
said you said.
Your will catch the leadership sun sooner or later
if you keep learning: inside and outside your work environment, in
order to sustain your qualities and prevent obsoleteness of your skills.
Your will catch the leadership sun sooner or later
if you make sure your output is seen. There are too many simple ways
to display your efforts. Use them, for if you don't, no one will for
you.
Catch the leadership sun while you can. The hard workers
always get the recognition, if only they use the appropriate channels.
And oftentimes they get much more than they originally anticipated:
they reach for the stars, and they end up being the sun.
About the author: Joan Marques emigrated from Suriname,
South America, to California, U.S., in 1998. She holds a doctorate
in Organizational Leadership, a Master's in Business Administration,
and is currently a university instructor in Business and Management
in Burbank, California. Look for her books "Empower the Leader
in You" and "The Global Village" in bookstores online
or on her website: http://www.joanmarques.com
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