Whether you're the boss or part of a team, it's always possible to be a
leader. In fact, leadership is very different from being in charge.
You can show leadership through your actions no matter what position you hold. Ultimately, being a
leader may
help you make your way to a position of authority, but that's not the
only career benefit. You'll find that people want to work with leaders,
so if you can show leadership, many career opportunities could open up
for you.
Lead By Example
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employee possible. Come in early and leave late. Be eager, open, and
excited about every opportunity presented to you.
Every piece of
advice above may sound hokey, but the best leaders are willing to fully
commit themselves. That doesn't mean you should work yourself to death
or even try to be the
hardest worker in every situation.
Instead,
you need to establish a pattern of hard work. You want to get to the
point where your bosses and co-workers simply understand that you can be
counted on and that you'll always be there when needed.
Do The Worst Jobs
In
my first season working a paying job at the summer camp I had long
attended, my boss showed us how to solve some basic plumbing problems.
As you might imagine, that was not always pleasant work.
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Some of
my coworkers always seemed to be busy when a clogged toilet needed to be
fixed. Others, however, were always willing to jump in when needed.
That's something the boss noted and appreciated. It's also something
every employee noticed, and while some were happy to get out of a
miserable job, most appreciated the effort.
Look The Part
The
old hackneyed line is to dress for the job you want, not the one you
have. That's often not possible depending on the work you do, but Mark
Sanborn, president of Sanborn & Associates Inc., explained how to
dress to be seen as a leader in a
guest post on Entrepreneur.com.
"Don't
dress to impress, dress to influence," he wrote. "That means making
sure your appearance is consistent with your personal and professional
brand. Begin by asking yourself how a leader with your aspirations
should appear to others."
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Be A Good Teammate
Leaders
support the people they work with and liberally share credit. They also
acknowledge that good ideas don't have to come from them. A willingness
not to be right is a major part of showing leadership.
Leaders Lead
It's
hard to respect a leader who leads from behind the scenes. To establish
yourself as a leader, you need to be on front lines along with everyone
else. That's not always possible when you become the boss and need to
be more hands-off. However, if you've gained your reports' respect by
showing that you're willing to do any job, regardless of your status,
then it will be easier to ask them to handle tough jobs without you.
People are more likely to follow leaders who have proven they're not
afraid to get their hands dirty.
Leadership isn't about your title. It comes from actions and attitude. Act like a leader, and soon enough, you will be one.
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