In today’s fast-paced and competitive world, effective leadership is crucial for the success of any organization. However, becoming a successful leader isn’t something that happens overnight. It requires continuous learning and growth.
That’s where leadership development comes in.
In this article, we’ll explain the concept of leadership development and dive into the role of experience in shaping awesome leaders.
We’ll also discuss the unique challenges faced by emerging leaders without prior experience.
What is ‘Leadership Development’?
In short, it’s about giving you the tools you need to become a better leader. That’s what we’re trying to do with Grow As A Leader too. Usually, companies provide workshops, mentoring, sometimes coaching and a whole range of decision-making tools. The ultimate goal of Leadership Development, is to create leaders who inspire, motive, innovate and provide direction during the storm.
How to lead without being a leader yet?
Let’s take the story of John, a seasoned leader who faced a major crisis in his organization. It was through this experience that he learned the importance of clear communication, decisiveness, and maintaining resilience in the face of challenges. This first-hand experience allowed John to understand the complexities of his role and develop the necessary skills to overcome obstacles.
And on the contrary:
Let’s take the story of Lex, a new leader who faced a major crisis in his organization.
End of story.
It was an accumulation of pain, mistakes, even lashing out at my team members.
Experience is a vital part of leadership development. It provides individuals with real-world exposure to different situations, enabling them to learn and grow. Through experience, leaders gain valuable insights and learn from their successes and failures.
This experience helps John and Lex build resilience and adaptability, two essential traits of effective leaders. By facing various situations, leaders learn to adjust their strategies and approaches, ensuring they can navigate through complex challenges.
Challenges faced by emerging leaders without prior experience
Emerging leaders without prior experience often face unique challenges on their leadership journey.
- Without experience, emerging leaders may find it tough to gain the trust and respect of their team members. When a leader lacks a track record of success or the ability to handle complex situations, team members may question their capability to lead effectively and make sound decisions.
This can lead to a lack of confidence and credibility, making it difficult for the emerging leader to establish themselves as a trusted figure within the team.
- In addition to building trust, emerging leaders experience may struggle with making tough decisions. Leadership often involves making difficult choices with significant consequences. Without the guidance of past experience to draw upon, emerging leaders may find themselves grappling with uncertainty and indecisiveness.
They may fear making the wrong choice and the potential negative impact it could have on their team and organization.
- Emerging leaders may face resistance from team members who may not readily accept them as their leader due to their lack of experience. This resistance can take the form of skepticism, reluctance to follow instructions, or even passive-aggressive behavior.
Overcoming this resistance requires finding a delicate balance of assertiveness, empathy, and effective communication to establish trust and foster a sense of collaboration and unity within the team.
- Emerging leaders without experience often have limited exposure to different leadership styles and strategies. They may struggle to find their own leadership approach, which can lead to inconsistency and uncertainty in their decision-making.
Without a solid foundation of experience to draw from, emerging leaders may find it challenging to navigate complex situations and adapt their leadership style to different contexts.
Sounds like I’m in trouble..
All of the sudden, those ‘future leader’ programmes don’t sounds so bad ey? Here’s what you can start doing today to address these common leadership startup challenges.
- Be humble
- Ask for feedback
- Action on feedback
- Lack of conviction in strategy
- Ask feedback on your feedback actions
- Don’t forget to read Grow as a Leader every day
- Get a mentor (Mentors essentially tell you what to do based on their experience)
- Get a coach (Coaches help you explore yourself in many cases, think values, beliefs, goals etc)
The Wrap up
Leadership development is essential in creating successful leaders. So is experience. But since we can’t have the cake, AND it eat, we’ll need to start of as a humble, eager to learn, approachable, non-boomer, leader that ask for feedback.
I've been writing about SEO since I was 15 years old, and a decade later I'm fortunate to have consulted for companies I love like Ahrefs, Kinsta, Buffer, ConvertKit and multi-billion dollar brands.
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