So you want to be a Manager/Team Leader?

Do you feel you are ready for the next move? Does your boss or peers see you are ready for the next move? What preparation have you done to take the next move?

We all harbour self-doubt, are we good enough? Will we be successful? So, although we all want success, there are times when we question our own abilities. Is that you?

What can we do to overcome these negative thoughts and self-doubt?So how do you apply your learnings to other aspects of leadership or stepping up to the next role?  Well, practice. Practice, Practice, Practice

I have heard many times in my career, well I cannot practice until I have the next role. When I hear this as a leader I despair, the comment shows no leadership.  Let me repeat: I cannot practice until I have the role, or I cannot prove my experience until I have the next role.  If you are in this trap, then here are five essential steps to move forward:

1. Mentor another person, if you are young offer reverse mentoring. Mentoring another is all about being a leader and taking an active interest in others. If you have never mentored another and then go for a manager interview, you are unlikely to get the role.
2. Are you on a committee? Kids school, local community, football team, Toastmasters. If you on a committee you are already aware of the meeting, strategy, treasury, you may have performed one of these roles. If you have you will have more confidence to be a leader when you will be required to present and debate with your peers and leaders
3. What Projects are you working on? Are they team or company-wide? How do you participate? Projects that are cross-functional expose you to other functions, other leaders and peers across the business. It also shows your power to influence outside your immediate team
4. What do you do to make your boss look good? How do you make them look amazing? Deliver excellent results and keep your boss informed of your plans and progress.
5. Defensive behaviour: Something I struggled personally for years, so attached to my work if anyone had any feedback, I would be offended. I had taken so much pride in my work, it was hard to swallow. It is the most limiting behaviour, being open to feedback on your work, acknowledging the feedback, even thanking the individual is the only way to go if you want to get on. It is the most common area of coaching with team member and mentees. I witness and coach on these behaviours every day.  If you are not sure whether you do it: Ask your boss?

So you want to be a Manager/Team Leader? Take action now remember the 5 key steps to successfully securing the next role:

1. Mentor
2. Get on a committee
3. Get on a project wider than your team, better still come up with something that impacts company wide
4. What have you done to make your boss look good?
5. Take control Defensive behaviour

So, you want to be a manager/Team leader? You can do it, you have made the first step by reading this article.