LEADERSHIP SECRETS
Tim Warden, Learning and Development Retail Training Supervisor
What if I told you that you could invest $100 and turn that into $10,000 in one week? All you have to do is sign up for my mastermind group of $19.99 a month and you will see returns like that weekly!
Sound familiar? Search social media for any amount of time and you can have your pick of “gurus” trying to sell you something. Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about investing- but not the kind you’re thinking of.
Would you believe me if I told you that I’ve worked for Goodwill for 17.5 years and had the privilege of working under 26 different supervisors/managers? I have learned something invaluable from each and every one of them. I spent hours, days, weeks, months and sometimes years under some of these leaders. Whether they realized it or not, each leader was making a deposit into my leadership development – an investment. In this article, I am going to share some of my investment secrets with you.
To Invest in Yourself, Grow Yourself
The greatest investment you will ever make is in yourself. In order to do this, you need to work on your own development. What areas do you want to grow in? What are your interests? What is your understanding of your potential? If you’re not constantly working on this, you will have a low ceiling for personal growth. With a lower ceiling, how can you be successful for your team, the organization, and yourself?
In his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell talks about the Law of the Lid. The Law of the Lid states that there is a “lid”, or a limit, on our potential that is determined by our leadership capability. The higher your lid, the higher your effectiveness. Let’s say you are great at the technical parts of your job, but your leadership is rated a 5 out of 10. That number reflects your effectiveness, which can’t go higher than a 4 rating. If you have no desire to grow yourself as a leader, The Law of the Lid suggests that you are capping your potential. MY TIP: Start with a development plan. You can do this yourself, with your leader or a mentor, or reach out to Learning and Development to help get you started.
To Invest in Yourself, Lead Yourself
You might be thinking to yourself, “I’m not a supervisor, why do I need to grow my leadership ability if I’m not leading anyone?” The answer is simple: you don’t need to be a manager or supervisor to influence others. In addition, if you can’t lead yourself, you’ll have a difficult time leading someone else. Someone is always watching how you show up each day; your co-worker, leader, or even your neighbor. Believe it or not, you’re never not influencing someone else with your behavior. What you should be asking is if you’re making the impact you want. MY TIP: Lead how you want to be led. Make sure you are reflecting on your behaviors and ask yourself, is this the way you would want your leader to act? And, check your blind spots! Don’t be afraid to ask your leader or those who work close with you for feedback.
To Invest in Yourself, Invest in Someone Else
There’s an outdated cliché in business that says, “It’s lonely at the top.” Well, it’s only lonely at the top if you don’t bring anybody with you! Investing in others is the ultimate investment after investing in yourself. There’s another saying that has stuck with me for many years: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
As I started to write this article, I reflected on each one of my supervisors over the years. The ones that stuck out more than others were those who invested in my personal growth. One leader gifted me a planner and showed me the importance of writing things down. I also had a leader teach me the value of building a team bench, a leader who taught me to always “trust but verify”, and another who spent 3 whole days making sure I understood everything about my job. Each one took the time to make “deposits” into my growth. They genuinely cared about my leadership journey. MY TIP: Make an effort to invest in someone else who is showing an interest in developing themselves. Offer to meet one-on-one to begin a mentor relationship, connect them to helpful resources, or start with a simple development goal you can work with them on.
My investment secrets are simple: grow yourself, lead yourself and lastly, invest your time in someone else. When you see immediate results from my program, feel free to Venmo me that $19.99 subscription fee. Good luck!
