Do you hear yourself thinking or saying any of the following? “I have achieved technical expertise in this area and a promotion is a foregone conclusion.”
“My work speaks for itself…I am sure of the next jump.”
“I have achieved all my targets this year and am confident of the next move.”
“Why did they hire someone for that position? I am already doing what’s required of that position.”
If you identify with any of these statements it’s time for a reality check. It is not a good idea to restrict your potential and efforts to being the quintessential “high performer”.
Functional and technical expertise are not enough any more to assure the next berth. Achieving goals and targets in today’s context is a given and no longer enough to claim that coveted position and opening the bottle of champagne.
Being eloquent about your achievements is good but has the potential of being misinterpreted as desperation or blowing your own trumpet.
So what does it take to create and claim your place under the sun? Let’s look at the three buckets of values, behaviours and competencies that you would have to live in order to be the first choice for the next or the aspired level:
THE GIVEN
Having these competencies are no cause for celebration. Most organisations expect their employees to possess these traits to retain their positions. For any professional these are some of the basic qualifications he must have. They include:
Functional competencies: That you are an expert in your area of specialisation. This expertise could range from the functional to the technical.
Achieving targets: If you have managed to meet the the targets, then there is nothing to crow about. A true leader does more than that—he is an overachiever. For an organisation to value you, you have to strive that much harder and stretch yourself that much longer.
THE ESSENTIAL
Values delivered consistently through behaviour. These are:
Responsibility: Making a choice to take responsibility not just for your work, but also areas like development of self, development of team members and problem solving. Consistently being responsible for yourself and your work helps build credibility with your stakeholders. Commitment to get things done is an integral part of responsibility.
Initiative: This can be at two levels —to “run” your regular work and problem solve on day-to-day operations and to “improve” your work and the way things are done—to look for faster, smarter and quality ways of doing the same things. Consistency of approach can help position you as a “thinking” person and one who is willing to take risks a n d also see them through to their logical conclusion. Initiative to take on challenges of the next role would stand you in good stead. Visibly and consistently displayed managerial competencies such as:
Problem solving: Shift focus from identifying problems to identifying solutions. Organisations are on the lookout for leaders who help create and implement solutions and not become part of the problem. Remember it’s not just about the skill of problem solving it is more about the attitude when faced with a problem.
Developing others: Taking initiative to develop and mentor people in your team helps to contribute visibly towards organisation building and also releases time for you to develop yourself for the next role.
THE DESIRABLE
Being an “emotionally intelligent” person and leader. Develop yourself consciously to:
• Be self-aware and confident
• Be aware of the impact of your emotions on self and on others
• Express yourself with conviction without being aggressive
• Be empathetic with colleagues especially when you may have divergent views or beliefs
• Create long-term meaningful relationships at work.
Managing change positively: If you have been able to deal with change and leverage it as an opportunity be assured you will be a step ahead in the race for the coveted position.
Inspiring your co-workers towards a common vision: Create the ability to mobilise people and their energies towards the common team or organisation goals or vision. If you are able to inspire people half the battle is won because now they will be engaged with their hearts and will start displaying the values of responsibility and initiative.
If you have managed the “given” and the “essential” already —it is time for you to take bold and quick steps towards building the leadership competencies—the “desirable”. Having most of this in place would not only be of aid for a position that exists but also sometimes compel the organisation to even create a position for you. The value that you add is something that many organisations will not be able to ignore and let go.
The most significant takeaway, however, will be for you as a person —being able to display most of these values and competencies would lead to you being a more mature personality and actually having the confidence, wherewithal and the right to pave your own way to the top.
