Stepping into a leadership role for the first time is exciting, scary, thrilling, challenging and rewarding all at once.
However, the transition from being a high-performing individual contributor or a longer-tenured employee to a successful leader requires more than just technical knowledge and an abundance of confidence. According to a meta-analysis led by Timothy Judge, Ph.D., a professor at the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame, “extroversion” is the best predictor of leadership effectiveness, followed closely by “conscientiousness”. Whether you agree with these findings or not, the fact is that if you aspire to one day get promoted to a leadership role, there are a multitude of factors that will make you more likely to be seen as a potential candidate for the job.
The good news is that even if these traits don’t necessarily come naturally to you or need some honing, there are actions you can take now to put them into practice so that you can demonstrate to others that 1) you are willing to learn, grow and do what it takes to be a successful leader and 2) that you already have what it takes to be a successful leader.
To help you assess your leadership readiness, here are 10 indicators that tend to signal whether you’re ready (or not) for your first leadership role:
1. Clear Motivation
Sign you ARE ready: You know your “why”. You have a strong, clear motivation for wanting to be a leader, such as a desire to make a positive impact or to grow personally and professionally. It used to come as a shock to me to learn how many of my clients who were being groomed to become leaders had no idea why they had applied for the role in the first place – many simply assumed that it was the next logical step.
Sign you are Not yet ready: Your primary motivation is external, such as seeking a title or a higher salary, without understanding the responsibilities and challenges of leadership. While I'm not here to judge, experience tells me that these external validation factors are almost always very short-lived and motivation to stay in the role wears off quickly once the less than glamorous aspects of leadership come into play.
2. Team Success Over Individual Success
Sign you ARE ready: You are willing and able to shift your focus from individual achievements to the success of each of your team members. This is such a common struggle with new leaders, and I completely understand why this is: the technical skills and achievements that got them into their leadership role in the first place are practically no longer relevant when it comes to orchestrating their teams. As an aspiring leader, you must accept that you will now be highlighting your team members’ wins rather than your own.
Sign you are Not yet ready: You struggle with prioritizing team goals over personal accomplishments and find it hard to share credit. I’m not saying not to celebrate your own wins, but the light you shine on others better be brighter than the one you shine on yourself.
3. Handling Failure and Setbacks
Sign you ARE ready: You are resilient, able to learn from failures, and support your team members through challenges. When mistakes happen, you tend to ask, “How can we do better next time?” or “How can we mitigate these risks in the future?”. You treat mistakes as learning opportunities to build on and improve rather than view them as failures.
Sign you are Not yet ready: You crumble easily under pressure, revert to old habits and tasks that you can do with ease and bring comfort rather than tackling challenges head-on.
4. Embracing a Growth Mindset
Sign you ARE ready: You are open to and engage in continuous learning and encourage your team to do the same. You experiment with different learning modalities and share your experiences with your team members to contribute to a culture of learning within your current team and beyond that nurtures learning and growth.
Sign you are Not yet ready: You believe you already know everything you need to succeed and resist innovative ideas and perspectives. If you catch yourself saying “This is how I’ve always done it.” or “This way has worked for me this long, I don’t see why I need to change.”, then you’re probably not in the best leadership mindset – yet.
5. Delegating Tasks and Responsibilities
Sign you ARE ready: You trust your team and can delegate tasks effectively, empowering others to take ownership of their work. You are accessible for check-ins and able to provide support without jumping in to do the work for them.
Sign you are NOT yet ready: You have difficulty letting go of control and prefer to handle everything yourself. A common flag is gate-keeping information to prevent others from doing certain tasks. Another flag would be constantly being in a state of overwhelm.
6. Addressing Difficult Conversations
Sign you ARE ready: You don’t hesitate to address conflicts and provide constructive feedback promptly, directly and effectively to help things moving along in a positive light. Bonus points if you can do this while keeping your emotions in check!
Sign you are NOT yet ready: You avoid difficult conversations and struggle to provide honest feedback. I’m not asking you to love having these difficult conversations, but as a leader, you will need to initiate them.
7. Handling Criticism
Sign you ARE ready: You are open to feedback and use it as a tool for growth, both for yourself and your peers. There is another side to handling criticism though. It’s one thing to accept “quiet” criticism. But as a leader, you will be a much more visible target – and it is next to impossible to please everyone. When faced with tough decisions, leaders can consult with all the right stakeholders to gather information to make the most informed decision to be in service of their work. They also own the consequences of their decisions, whatever they may be.
Sign you are NOT yet ready: You become defensive or dismissive when challenged or faced with criticism, making it difficult to improve. If your go-to rebuttal to a less than positive bit of feedback is “It’s not just my fault.” or some other form of deflection, then this is definitely an area that could be honed.
8. Communicating Effectively
Sign you ARE ready: You practice active listening (meaning you listen to learn rather than listen to answer), you clearly articulate your ideas, and you tend to maintain transparent dialogue with your co-workers and other stakeholders. You seek and value others’ opinions, and take them into consideration when making decisions.
Sign you are NOT yet ready: You struggle with communication, which often leads to misunderstandings with your co-workers and boss. You feel like you need the most air space or need to be the first to talk. Another red flag here would be the following: you tend to complain to work colleagues about issues but never address them with those who can do something about it. You tend to think/say: “I shouldn’t have to remind them” or “I had to figure it out on my own – so should they.” If this resonates, let this be your clue to improve your communication – AND collaboration skills.
9. Vision and Direction
Sign you ARE ready: You have a clear vision for your work and can easily get everyone on board. You can communicate ideas compellingly, inspiring others to follow. New and aspiring leaders need to understand that when in a leadership role, they will have to hold people accountable by one of two ways: either folks will WANT to hop on board because they believe in the vision, or they will do it because it’s an employment requirement. Trust me. The first group is much easier to hold accountable than the latter.
Sign you are NOT yet ready: You currently lack a clear vision of your current role or have difficulty articulating it. If you tend to work alone without letting anyone know about the progress of your work, this may be an area worth focusing on.
10. Seeking Comfort Over Growth
Sign you ARE ready: You embrace new leadership practices and are willing to step out of your comfort zone to grow. I know we hear this a lot, but what does it actually mean to step out of your comfort zone? It means taking actions that others aren’t willing to take, being seen when you would rather hide in your office, being the first to try things to model actions and behaviors you expect from your staff. Stepping out of your comfort zone will evolve who you are and will also change your perspective because they are humbling. It checks the ego and makes you more relatable.
Sign you are NOT ready yet: You revert to familiar habits rather than adopting new strategies that better serve your role as a leader. But the habits that got you to the point of high-potential and aspiring leader are unlikely to make you a successful leader. Start working on the skills and demonstrating to others that you have what it takes to be an effective and influential leader. If you aren’t willing to do that, then I can tell you that you will make it harder for others to see your leadership potential.
Taking on a leadership role is a significant step that requires careful consideration and preparation. By growing your awareness around each of these indicators, you can better understand your readiness for leadership. Embrace the challenges, stay resilient, and focus on building a positive and supportive environment for your current team and peers. Start with you because leadership is above all, a journey of continuous learning and growth.
If you are looking for a more customized leadership development experience, leadership coaching may be the better option to get you to your professional development goals faster. Book a complimentary “Discovery Call” to discuss your goals and see if working with a leadership coach might be the way to go.