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Brain Circuits
How to grow beyond your skill set: A self-check for leaders
Leaders often need to navigate significant changes of direction in their careers, which means expanding their skills and ways of working. Answer the following questions honestly to check your readiness to evolve, and check out the tips on growing beyond your skill set.
The self-check
- Do you have a tendency to take on too much work?
- Do you find it hard to delegate to your team?
- Do you still have a specialist mindset?
- Is your approach generally more reactive than proactive?
- Are you hyper-focused on how your function is performing?
- Do you think strategically about how it could better contribute to the business’s growth plans?
- Have you analyzed what you need to flourish professionally and personally in your new role?
How to grow beyond your skill set
Significant changes in career direction, such as advancing from managing a particular business unit or function (finance, IT) to having a broader leadership position, usually require a mindset shift. The following are simple strategies to help make the transition:
Accept it’s time for your team to step up
Allow your team to take on more responsibility – give them the autonomy and trust they need to thrive in their roles.
Think strategically
Broadening your leadership aptitudes requires you to think more strategically about your role. Temper the desire to focus on the needs of one business unit, and adopt a broader organizational lens.
Be proactive
If you have joined a new organization or function, bear in mind that the culture may be very different: where specialization may have been highly valued in your previous role, you will likely need to be more proactive about immediate business and growth objectives in your new one.
Adapt your style
Be prepared to adapt your style in your new role. You may need to be more direct and forthright with recommendations that touch the whole organization, and not wait for guidance and information from peers or superiors.
Key learning
Transitioning from managing a specialist function to a broader leadership role means expanding your skills and adopting new ways of working. Remember: what got you here may not get you there!
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