Starting the journey

Most people lead others. If not directly at work, then at home or in their community. Friends and colleagues often tell me they want to be more productive and lead more effectively. They actively search for ways to improve, but as their work piles up, their motivation to apply new skills deflates.

The key to leadership development lies in cultivating the best of a person, positioning them for success, enabling them to give their gift into the environment for which they were designed.

The problem

The problem is they aren’t sure where to start.

Leaning too heavily on fine programs to help without seeing tangible results. Today, they are so occupied with commitments, deadlines, and too many topics to learn they can’t finish what they start or apply what they learn.

Does that sound like you?

Taking purposeful steps

Is there anything one can do to get better without reading a book, going to a workshop, or going through another leadership program?

I have good news for you!

Yes. There is.

During an interview with Knowledge@Wharton, former Aetna CEO Ron Williams when asked if leadership starts in the mind responded, “It’s a journey, it’s not an event. It’s not a process.”

Developing leader skill does take effort, I won’t lie, but it doesn’t have to be laborious. As John Maxwell says, “Leadership doesn’t happen in a day, it happens daily”. One step at a time on a continuous journey. A sound approach and one we can all do if we act on purpose.

As I explained in a recent article, I see leadership capacity in everyone and the most effective leaders find their best energy comes from the heart. Some need to help unleash it. In my experience, the key to successful leadership development is how well it cultivates the best of a person. It is the cultivation that spurs growth. As author Kim Scott describes in her book Radical Candor, we each have different growth trajectories.

Positioning ourselves for success means we are enabled to give our gifts into the environment we are best suited to. When we do, we can accomplish something remarkable!

Recognizing your gifts

The first natural way to improve as a leader requires using gifts that tap your primary energy source; because gifts are powered by energy.

Discovering your gift can be challenging for some of us to recognize. If that's you, this doesn’t have to take long to resolve.

Make a phone call. Reach out to close friends and family who know you well. Those that know you best can provide valuable insight. Explore where they think you are exceptional and how you add value to others naturally. When you do you will learn your primary energy source.

Indications you have discovered your primary energy source

Feeling energized

Using your gift is life-giving; to you and to others. Typically we find ourselves most energized when using it. The best part is your talent can be further developed and grow over time.

Renewable source

After extended use, we may feel depleted. Similar to how the tide comes in and later recedes, we too are subject to cycles. After recovery time, our desire to use our gift returns, and we are ready to give again.

Build trust

Want to use your gift?

Establish trust first. Then give.

Trust is the foundation of connection

Some people do not give their trust easily. Most have good reasons. They have been hurt in the past and don't want to take the risk. This is why we stress the importance of engaging people on their terms. If they never want to engage, we have to respect them enough to let them come to us when they are ready.

What does this mean? It means, we wait for our people.

Even when we may have viable solutions to their problem our responsibility is to wait until they are ready.

If that day never comes. It is not our place to decide. We choose to care for them unconditionally.

Give

Once we recognize and appreciate the gifts we have we can start giving deliberately and on purpose.

We find new ways to contribute. A valuable side-effect is a personal growth received during the act of giving. When we learn to use our gifts in partnership with others we can amplify the effect. Collaborating with people possessing different gifts opens new possibilities for improving our community.

You may be wondering, why doesn’t everyone appreciate my gift?

While our gift is not for everyone. It is for someone. It is our responsibility to find who it is for.

The reason we want to connect with other people is that we have an inner sense of what others have that we need. That is why we are attracted to some people more than others.

Conclusion

Leadership becomes a journey for those willing to begin. Identifying how we give our best without burning out requires tapping into our primary energy source. As we develop trust with our people and perform our work in the domain in which we are best suited we can naturally grow as a leader and give our best selves along the way.

What’s next

Below are some actions and questions to help uncover your leadership talent:

• What activities do you perform that energize you?

• Ask friends and family what they think you are good at?

• Review past evaluations from work or school and see if any themes stand out to you. What are they?

• Identify types of activities that take energy from you (even if you are good at them); consider reducing the time spent on those.

Want to grow as a leader? Check out Kim Scott’s book, Radical Candor.