The day I pulled the trigger and uploaded my resume for Management consideration I was full of excitement and a nervous wreck at the same time. I had played the possible scenarios in my mind over and over again for years. I knew the kind of people I wanted to work with and I knew that I wanted to make a measurable positive difference in the workplace. I had spent a great deal of time learning about what it meant to be a leader and what it took to successfully lead others.
Week one went well. But by week two, I already had potential trouble trying to barter the terms of what would be expected from my team. Being new to the position, I really wanted to be flexible because I knew I still had a lot to learn and I didn’t want to jeopardize my relationship with anyone by being firm. However, I also knew that if I didn’t act as a person in authority from the get-go, they wouldn’t treat me like one. I had to take into consideration how everyone would be impacted by my thoughts and actions and act accordingly.
I found myself comparing myself to other leaders constantly and feared that I would sabotage my own success.
My mentor and I got together to discuss what was happening and why I wasn’t performing in the ways I thought I would. I realized that I had caved in to the pressures from fear of failure and allowed my excuses to justify why I needed to compromise on my expectations. It was a compromise that wasn’t working for anyone. Even when I gave the team what they wanted, they were not delivering the results or achieving the goals I had expected them to.
I knew that something had to change. I made a commitment to myself that I would do everything I could to set the example and become the leader I knew I could be. After a few short months I had built a very successful team and achieved the organizational goals that had been set for us. However, it wasn’t without learning a few valuable lessons throughout the process.
Here are: 4 of the Most Valuable Lessons I’ve Learned as a Team Leader
1.Not everyone will like you
It doesn’t matter how nice of a person you are or how helpful you can be, not everyone in your team or organization is going to be a personal fan. Human behavior can be a fickle thing and there are some people you’re just not going to mesh with. However, it doesn’t mean that because you’re not the best of friends that they won’t accept the tasks you give them to accomplish. Most people, if you respect them, will put their professional responsibilities ahead of their personal opinions.
2.You can’t help everyone
You can give the individuals in your team everything they need to get the results you expect from them but if they don’t do the work and tackle the goals, your ability to help them will be limited. You can not be responsible for the individual efforts of your team. If they are able to do the work but unwilling to do it, it won’t matter what you do to help, they’ll always have more excuses than results.
3.You can’t do everything
It is really important to recognize that you can’t do it all. You have a team for a reason and delegation and job descriptions are put in place so you can focus on the big picture instead of the little bits and pieces. Know where your responsibilities begins and ends. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you’re forever busy doing the work your team is supposed to be doing.
4.You have to learn to say ‘No’
Don’t let the fear of rejection, being disliked or being judged be the reason you say yes when you should really be saying no. It doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person if you say no, it means that you know the value of saying no when it’s appropriate. There might be some team members and colleagues that get upset with you when you say no, but you don’t need their approval to do what’s best for you and your team.
Every day you’re in the role of leader, you’ll learn new things that will either support you or challenge you. Every lesson, whether it is a success or a failure, is important and crucial for your personal and professional growth. Embrace these lessons because ultimately, they all contribute to your success as an effective leader.