Always Busy? Micro Tips for Strengthening Leadership
You know all things leadership are always on my mind. Recently in our Empowership program, I taught a lesson called What Every Employee Needs to Know About Leading a Team, Even if You Don't Lead a Team.
Essentially, it's a reminder that leadership skills apply to everyone, no matter your level or title.
One thing these attendees shared was their lack of time to focus on leadership development. I know, time is always tight.
Spending time thinking about and working on your leadership skills is important - and hard -- to do.
Raise your hand if you are constantly busy .
When you're working back-to-back and non-stop, it's tough to take the time to work on your leadership skills. Yet being busy can't be a hurdle you ignore.
How do we grow our leadership skills when time is tight?
Even when you're swamped with work, there are steps you can take to nurture your leadership skills. Here are two practical approaches:
1. Create Micro-Moments of Leadership. Not everything has to be time-consuming and huge. What if you carved out 5 minutes or less to focus on the following?
Daily Reflections: Spend a few minutes each day reflecting on how things went. What conversations/meetings/deliverables well? Where could you have improved?
Quick Feedback: Ask for feedback from someone you work with, even if it's just a brief conversation. Remember to be specific in your ask. For example, "On that client call was there anything I could have done better when sharing the stats and data?"
Look Around: Pay attention in meetings to the dynamic around you. How effective are others in handling challenges, communicating their point, or asking questions? Every interaction you experience in is an opportunity to squeeze some learning juice from it.
2. Boost Connections and Exposure. It's getting harder and harder to establish stronger work relationships, especially with ongoing remote and hybrid work environments. In what ways can you build up your network and increase your exposure throughout your company?
Raise Your Hand: Volunteering for small projects or joining committees is a way to demonstrate your leadership potential AND get your name and face in front of more senior stakeholders, hopefully without too much extra time.
Seeking Out Mentoring: Is there a junior colleague you can connect with? Sharing your knowledge and experience over a virtual coffee or two is good practice for expanding leadership roles.
Network From Afar: Think about how you can get face time (virtual or otherwise) with folks who are influential to your career growth. Forwarding an article, scheduling a virtual coffee, and asking for a casual 1:1 are all time-efficient ideas to bridge the "we're-not-in-the-office-very-much-anymore" divide.
Remember: Even small steps can make a big difference.
Be consistent and intentional in your efforts. By incorporating any of these suggestions, you can work to strengthen your leadership skills, especially when time is limited.
Which one can you try today?
About The Author
For the past two decades, Cecilia Gorman has helped advertising agencies and other creatively-minded companies fix costly communication and productivity issues by teaching managers how to become better connectors, motivators, and leaders. Cecilia is the author of Always Believe In Better, creator of the digital learning course for managers—Manager Boot Camp, and co-founder of the global training and support community for working women—Empowership.
Interested in growing your skills as a manager? Check out how Manager Boot Camp might help.