How To Be The Leader Every Employer Wants

Businesses all over the country rate lack of future leadership as one of their top concerns, according to Forbes.com. Good leaders are hard to find and are becoming increasingly valuable to their companies. Related: 6 Leadership Traits You (The Employee) Need To Develop On-The-Job If you can showcase your leadership skills to a new employer, you have a better chance at achieving a successful career you desire. Learn how to be the leader every employer wants with the tips below:

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Start At The Interview

It is common to be asked about your leadership skills and experience on the job application, at the interview, or in the first meeting with your new boss. You need to think about this ahead of time and prepare a good answer. Having class experience in organizational leadership practices is always a good idea. Actions are important, too. Provide specific instances of how you helped others succeed and your employer will take you more seriously as a leader. Some of the most important examples to think about are situations where you have motivated others, how you motivated them, and how you were able to help others improve or succeed at their goal. Also consider situations where you have overcome obstacles to achieve your groups’ goal. Leadership doesn’t have to happen at work. Being involved in social or nonprofit organizations or clubs at school can offer opportunities for leadership, as well. If your work experience is limited, look for examples of leadership you’ve provided in other areas. After that stellar interview gets you hired, you have another challenge: actually getting leadership opportunities at your new company and making the most of them. An important first step is to do your work and follow the rules. Even if your first few assignments are not what you’re expecting, it is imperative that you do a good job on them. No one will trust you with a big project if you can’t perform the most basic tasks required.

Learn How The Organization Works

A great way to get leadership opportunities is to be eager to learn. Absorb knowledge from your colleagues and don’t be afraid to ask questions. As a new employee, you aren’t aware of all the organizational input that goes into decision making and sometimes procedures may not make sense or seem inefficient. In reality, there may be some very valid reasons why something is done the way it is. View the organization as a whole and care about advancing the goals of the organization, not just advancing your own career. After asking some questions, you may find an area where you can provide new or unique insight, help, or suggestions. This is essentially creating your own opportunity for leadership. One advantage of being a new employee is that you haven’t been entrenched in the company’s normal way of doing things. There may be situations where no one has tried to find a better way to do things, or resources have been underutilized. Being the new person allows you to see these situations more objectively, and offer unique solutions.

Help Willingly

Showing enthusiasm and helping is another great way to get leadership opportunities. If you are willing to help, people will give you the chance. Volunteering for projects or committees is a good way to get started. If the project that is presented is not in your area of expertise, offer to help the experienced leader. Volunteering to help offers more opportunity to communicate and connect with your co-workers. You may have the chance to work with people in different departments. Getting to know other people and having them see your skills creates more opportunity for leadership. And when those new opportunities come you already have some people on your side for support. Working with others can also help you find mentors or other people in the business with successful behaviors you can emulate. Identifying opportunities and displaying effort at your new company will allow you to showcase your leadership skills and have a successful career you want. Once you’ve stabilized your role as a leader in your department work towards some higher goals. Advancing your knowledge and education with masters in organizational development will show your employer that you are looking to do more than just settle in your career, but are looking to better yourself and the company. This post was originally published at an earlier date.

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