Dr. Andrea Wojnicki is a Harvard-educated executive communication coach, keynote speaker and host of the acclaimed “Talk About Talk” podcast.
Are you considered leadership material? Whether you’re a senior executive seeking to stand out in the C-suite or earlier in your career and signaling leadership potential, thinking strategically about how you demonstrate leadership can be a competitive advantage.
As an executive coach, I often hear from executives who excel technically but struggle to signal readiness for senior leadership, an entirely different skill set.
Take Jay, a senior management consultant with lofty ambitions. Jay was well-liked by her clients and colleagues and she delivered strong results. Jay wondered how to differentiate herself relative to other partners to be considered leadership material at the firm.
Does this sound familiar?
Here are six strategies I share with my executive coaching clients to help them consciously reinforce their leadership identity:
Lead people
Many of us think of leadership as “being the boss;” making decisions and deploying talent in the organization.
Demonstrating people leadership is also what frustrates junior folks who aren’t formally managing people. Early in my career, I was told I needed to “demonstrate leadership” before being promoted, despite having no direct reports.
I encourage managers to demonstrate people leadership informally, perhaps mentoring an intern or a new recruit. This could also mean encouraging others to speak up in meetings. Effective people leaders inspire and set a good example for others in the organization.
No matter your level in the organization, consider the ways you can formally and informally demonstrate people leadership.
Be proactive
Leaders lead. Leaders create the vision for the future.
Recently, I coached Lee, a senior director who was seeking promotion to vice-president. Lee was confident, articulate and well-liked. He had the reputation of being conscientious and delivering high-quality work. However, Lee’s senior stakeholders did not consider him to be a leader – yet. We worked together to shift his focus from following orders to identifying new opportunities and being a proactive leader. Within months, Lee was promoted.
If you’re seeking to signal your leadership acumen, be future-oriented and use your initiative. Volunteer and follow-up. This might mean identifying a new product opportunity or re-engineering an internal process. Be proactive.
Be strategic
Have you ever been in a meeting where the conversation goes off topic and people are feeling frustrated? Then someone interjects, “Let’s be strategic about this. Our formalized annual priorities highlight where we should focus…”
Suddenly, everyone nods and resets. I have seen this moment repeatedly in my own career.
Strategic leaders think at a meta level, balancing what’s happening in the moment with the broader strategy. This is about encouraging a focused lens on the business.
As a strategic leader you might reference the firm’s objectives or you might even identify an opportunity for a new strategy. Regardless, when you reference strategy, you reinforce your leadership.
Create thought leadership
A few years ago, I interviewed prolific thought leader Roger Martin for the Talk About Talk podcast.
I asked Mr. Martin, “Do all leaders need to be thought leaders?”
He answered, “Yes, they do. But not in the way you think.” He then described the important difference between private and public thought leadership.
Private thought leadership means sharing your expertise internally. All leaders need to at least be private thought leaders.
Public leadership means sharing your expertise through articles, social media, books and public speaking. This requires more time and energy.
Regardless of whether you share it privately or publicly, effective thought leadership starts with identifying a topic where you have conviction and expertise, then sharing those ideas in everyday conversations and, when appropriate, more public forums.
Communicate with confidence
When we think of successful leaders, we typically think of people who have gravitas. Effective leaders exude confidence and credibility.
Confidence is one of the most common topics that my clients seek for coaching. The good news is that confidence can be learned.
An effective way to build your confidence is to consider both mindsets and tactics that work for you. For example, you might adopt a growth mindset, focusing on learning instead of performing. You can also employ confidence-building tactics such as deep breathing or reciting a mantra.
As you start to feel more confident, others will note it too. When you communicate with confidence, you establish credibility and leadership presence.
Talk ‘leadership’
This last strategy to demonstrate leadership is simple and often overlooked: use the word “lead.”
This is about controlling your narrative. Others are more likely to think of you as a leader if you label yourself as one. For example, you might reference your “path to leadership” when referencing your career journey. Or you might introduce yourself by saying, “I lead the marketing team.”
You might lead a team, a project or even just a meeting. How many times does the word “lead” show up in your resume or your LinkedIn profile?
When you label yourself as a “leader,” others will think of you as one too.
Together, these six strategies will help you signal your leadership potential and status. Choose one or two strategies where you can get gain traction in your leadership identity. Consciously signalling leadership can be a powerful advantage in advancing your career.
This column is part of Globe Careers’ Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about the world of work. Find all Leadership Lab stories at tgam.ca/leadershiplab and guidelines for how to contribute to the column here.