No matter what area you work in, advancing in your career eventually requires leadership skills. Dr Steve Broe, author of Leaders In Transition, shares four strategies you can use to improve your leadership skills and enhance your chances of promotion, including questions to ask yourself to develop in each area.
Lifehacker’s coverage of Data Center World 2014 is presented by the Microsoft Cloud, providing flexible enterprise cloud solutions for business.
Broe shared his ideas during a presentation on leadership tactics at Data Centre World 2014 in Las Vegas. While many of the strategies may seem obvious, concentrating on the basics is increasingly important in a fast-paced world, he said. “The pace of change is accelerating, and that behoves us to develop a strategy.”
#1: Connect and network
“When you’re facing upheavals, one of the best things you can do is expand the range of people you know,” Broe said. That doesn’t mean cynically seeking advantage from others. “Establishing relationships that are authentic and meaningful and not worrying about where the payoff is for you always works better.
“Don’t focus just on your career speciality; focus on expanding your network out.”
Question to ask yourself to develop this area:
- Who do you know that I should be talking to?
- What part of your work fulfils you?
- How can I help you to be successful?
#2: Manage your energy
This means not just staying fit, eating well and sleeping enough (though those all matter), but also identifying the areas of your current role that inspire you. “Find the activities that energise you, and add recharge time to your schedule,” Broe said.
Question to ask yourself to develop this area:
- What part of my work energises me?
- How can I do more of that?
- How can I restore my energy?
#3: Continue learning
“People who go through a big career change or advance as leaders continue to learn,” Broe noted. If you think you know everything, it’s time to seek new challenges.
“People who are really successful in a new line of work tend to fall in love with the details,” Broe said. “Understand everything you can about a new area.
Questions to ask yourself to develop this area:
- Who would know more about this than I do?
- How can I spend time with an expert to learn more?
- What do I need to learn to be on top of my game three months from now?
#4: Set goals and write plans
“This may seem obvious, but it’s often missed,” Broe said. “Put your learning plan in writing.”
Question to ask yourself to develop this area:
- What are my goals?
- What is the best use of my time right now?
Chess picture from Shutterstock
Comments