Where Do You Go From Here?

I HOPE YOU FOUND the ideas in this book useful as you took charge of your own leadership development. How does it feel to be improving your leadership skills? I bet you’re getting a lot of positive feedback from your colleagues, which has to feel good. I expect your boss is noticing a difference, too. I’m sure you’re feeling more confident with these new leadership behaviors; you’re almost certainly better equipped to take on any new challenges that come your way. You’re probably enjoying your job more, too. That’s great—I’m proud of you. Working on your own game isn’t an easy challenge, so you should feel good about the journey to become a better leader. And it’s definitely a journey; you’re now on a path that never really ends. Self-development takes discipline and dedication, and it’s often the first thing we put aside when we get busy or stressed. So don’t neglect your development or take it for granted when things heat up around you—keep working to improve your leadership. Resist the temptation to say: “OK, I applied a few of the techniques this year, I’m good for awhile.” Keep stretching yourself. You’ve built the development mindset, so remind yourself of how good it feels to be improving your skills.

Speaking of the path, what’s around the next bend? How do you keep the momentum going? For starters, pickup this book once a month and read (or reread) a few chapters. Keep searching the book for new ideas or techniques to try out, and talk with your direct reports about how you can continue to apply the lessons you’re learning. One thing you might do if you lead a team of managers is take a chapter a week and discuss it as a team; use the book to encourage other leaders in the organization to develop their leadership skills. You’ve doing a great job of developing your own leadership—now it’s time to pay it forward to others.

Second, strive to turn your new behaviors into regular practices. I’ve found the best way to do this is to “put yourself out there” by telling others what you’re working on, and asking for feedback on how you’re doing. You’ve been doing it, so I know you can keep doing it. Declare your intentions, be transparent about the skills you’re trying to improve, and ask others to hold you accountable. That’s the best way to ensure that you’re cementing new behaviors.

Third, continue to be on the lookout for opportunities to add something new to your leadership toolkit. Be the kind of leader that “sees around corners” and anticipates where the next big move is coming from and then adapt your leadership style accordingly. You can be your own “advance scout” when it comes to leadership development. Look at change as an opportunity to keep your leadership skills ahead of the competition. You’re making change work for you while reading this book. Keep it up!

Fourth, look above you in the organization. If you truly want to “break out and move up,” pay close attention to what’s expected of leaders at the next level. How do they get things done? What skills are they leveraging? What behaviors are ingrained in the culture that you still need to adopt? Once you’ve mastered how to lead at this level, start building a plan to polish or develop the skills you’ll need at the next level. Working to improve your leadership style is paying off for you. Guess what? It will continue to do so if you stay in a learning mode and keep making new development plans.

Finally, remind yourself of why you wanted to be a leader in the first place. You got into a leadership role because you like helping other people do extraordinary things. Never lose sight of the fact that leadership is about helping others be successful, or better yet, helping them to achieve their hopes and dreams. You’re demonstrating that you enjoy the obligations that go with being the leader; remember that one of those responsibilities is being a role model for continuous learning and development.

Where do you go from here? Anywhere you want to, really. Because you’re becoming a more mature, well-rounded leader. You’re teaching yourself to seek feedback, listen more effectively, and try new things. You’re stepping out of your Comfort Zone, and adopting a mentality of servant leadership. More importantly, you’re making a difference in other people’s lives by becoming a better leader. As it turns out, this journey isn’t just for you—it’s also for the team. And that’s a pretty noble purpose. One that should encourage you to keep pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps!