Leadership lessons for first time leaders

I’ve led teams for the last 15 years and facilitated over 200+ hours of leadership coaching/development. If I started my leadership journey today I would:

1. Engage a mentor: I’d look for someone who shares similar values to me, that I know will challenge me.

2. Think about what my key values are as a leader (how I want to show up) and I would ensure my communication and every decision I make to reflect these values. When something felt ‘off’ I would ask myself “is this aligned with my values?”

3. I’d seek feedback and use this to develop. I’d make this an ongoing process. I would recognise that some feedback can be difficult to hear. I may not always agree with it and that is okay as well.

4. I’d take the time to understand each of my team members key drivers and communication preferences and do my best to adapt my style to each team member.

5. I’d do absolutely everything I could to support the career development of my team members, even if that means they outgrow their current role (this is a good problem to have).

6. I’d lead with trust and have the difficult conversations, but I would do so with empathy, understanding every decision I make has an impact on someone. We are all human and deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of the situation.

7. I’d be ok with saying I don’t know something. This is not a weakness, it’s a strength. I’d prioritise asking questions as one of my biggest tools. I’d remind myself “you don’t know what you don’t know”. I’d recognise the more I learn, the more I realise how much I don’t know. Learning is lifelong.