Transitioning From Doer To Leader

Gather round one and all I’m about to share with you some invaluable insights…

Insights into how you can shift from being a “doer” to a “leader”. 

So if you’re the one in your organisation that everyone runs to when sh** hits the fan or the tech expert when the computer seizes up then this may sound extremely familiar…

In those moments of feeling unappreciated, depleted, bored even you probably fantasise about stepping into a role where you are heard, where you can make an impact and feel fulfilled.  

No doubt you are gaining more work from senior management but the issue is it’s well below your capabilities and the craving for career advancement remains stagnant. 

What you are seeing movement in is the growth opportunities being passed on to those less qualified than you leading to feelings of pure frustration and disengagement.

What you need to do is make a shift! 

A shift from where you’re recognised for your contribution to the company and the value you can impart.

It isn’t hard to understand why you want this.  I think the majority of us want to make a difference to the organisation we work for, pack a punch, have people sit up and take notice of the effort we put in and what we can bring to the table. 

While internally we want to feel that we’re reaching our full potential and the career we deserve...

After all, if you work hard, make the sacrifices then you want to know it’s being done for good reasons. 

If everything I have just mentioned is where you are right now then it's time to pay attention because I have 3 steps to get you where you want to be…

It’s a simple process but it’s not always easy to implement and execute so let’s go!

Transitioning From Doer To Leader:

1. Understand your Authentic Leadership Style: your UVP

Like with most things you need to ask yourself some questions that will help you start clarifying who you are and what you want…

1.  What makes you, YOU?
2. What makes you unique? 
3. Why do you want to be a leader?
4. Why should people listen and follow you?

Some people are born leaders. The pied piper of their organisation, being followed wherever they go…

But whether you possess this skill naturally or not you still need to be able to articulate it because leadership needs to be recognised from the top-down, those senior managers and executives need to see your potential and understand what your values are.

This is why it is a must for you to know whether your values are programmed, “that’s what society expects from me” or are they true and close to your heart. 

By knowing what your values are and showing up as an authentic leader with a conscious leadership style, you will attract the same tribe to you. 

Being self-aware and authentic, understanding how you want them to represent to your team, and within your organisation, and being able to express them, hold people accountable and making a stand for those values.

This will also assist in understanding your authentic leadership style why..? because it’s what makes you unique and what sets you apart from others enabling you to work in your genius zone and be complemented with like-minded people and this… well this is where together you become a powerhouse.  

Remember: As a leader, it’s an action, not a job title...

So if you’re struggling to make the move and you’re lost amongst it all then HERE is where you need to start, this step of understanding who you are is going to set your foundation for further growth and adoption of skills.  

This may all be a little confronting… but if you want to step up then you need to do this.  After all, it’s not really on the shoulders of anyone else, stepping up or growing within your career whether it be at your current organisation or another, it is you that needs to make the changes and seek out the opportunities to make the move.

2. External Communication 

Before you think about up-levelling, you need to ask yourself “where am I right now?”

This may hurt or be uncomfortable but it requires you to delve deep… begin some self-reflection, talk to your peers and your managers to find out how you’re perceived within the company. 

Undertaking this will provide an accurate image of yourself and give you the information you need to seriously consider up levelling.

Ask the questions:

1. What is it that is holding me back?
2. What do I need to do?
3. How do I want to be perceived?

Start finding the gaps where you may need to put in some extra work such as the language you use, your body language and how you come across, whether you show up late to meetings or early and not contribute etc etc. and then you begin the process to fix them…

All of this contributes to your Personal Brand and it affects how you are perceived within your organisation. 

This is why it’s important to do a stocktake of your current personal brand.

Create a timeframe to implement this and be realistic, it will not be an overnight job.  Think about it, it’s taken many years to be who you are within your company and although a significant change doesn’t need to take the same amount of time you certainly won’t be able to be the roadrunner!

No doubt you will have the little but LOUD voice in your head trying to pull you back and safeguard you, but you need to say “thanks but I’m going to keep on trekking”, and push through.  

We all have good days and bad days and on those less than great days you may not be able to silence the voice and it will override your positivity. 

This is when you need to find a method or a technique to manage the anxiety to try and shift it such as journaling, meditation, emotional techniques, a trip to the gym these are all proven methods that will help alleviate unruly roadblocks which enable you to decrease anxiety and re-focus.

What you need to remember is your Personal Brand is what you put forward to the executives and it is also what will change the perception of YOU…  this is what will transform you from being a doer to a leader and where you can OWN your greatness.

3. Understand your Network

Once you understand your personal brand and your communication style than working on your network is a natural progression.

Having a network is one of the most important factors when wanting to step up in your career.  To do this you need to convert the relationships you have at work into alliances.

You won’t be able to and you don’t have to, convert ALL your relationships into alliances but you want to convert the ones that will make a difference to you as you step up. 

Your network doesn’t need to be large and include everyone you have ever met in fact, it should be a small group “the board members of you!” those who understand both you and your style. 

Each of the members of “your” board will play a different role,  such as a mentor who will nurture and back you and a strategic alliance who can put you forward for opportunities and so on.  

Why are alliances so important..?

Well without them you will be stuck or stagnant in your career, to override that you need to think about gathering your board together because those who know you will have the most power in supporting you in your journey up the ranks.

What we have here is a strategy for both you and your career and when you think about it businesses have several strategies in place for their successful growth after all a business can’t survive without a strategy. 

Yet when it comes to our career we are rudderless, drifting from job to job or we remain stagnant out of fear because we don’t have a strategy.  

One of my clients who recently joined my program  said:

“I have to listen to Caroline’s videos and take control of my career and be intentional”.

She went to the executive team and said “I want to be more involved with the company”.

They were like excellent, great here you go… 

They gave her more work to do but not what she wanted, it was more of the same work and didn’t involve her stepping up and making a difference.

This what you are reading today are the steps we went through together because the thing is if you want to step up you don’t just blurt out “Please sir can I have more”.   

You need to apply a strategy, this strategy…

It is crucial in your plight to have it all worked out in your head so you can articulate exactly what you want in your effort of career growth otherwise there is miscommunication and a sh*t load of extra work.

So yes take charge of your own career and lead the development but do all the steps, set your foundation the correct way:

1. Understand who you are, your UVP.
2. Understand your Personal Brand, how you're being perceived by those around you and how you can uplevel and how it will look and how you will activate it.
3. Understanding networking strategy, gain your board of strategic alliances that will have your back.

This is how you will be seen as a leader and not a doer.

I hope this article about transitioning from doer to leader helped and inspired you. 

Caroline, this sounds awesome I need you in my life pronto, stat, right now...

Before that…  I need you to head my one consistent message which is:

Careers are no different to other parts of our lives that require a strategy such as weddings, parties or holidays and then, of course, you have the strategies in workplaces such as marketing strategy, ad campaigns and certain tasks. 

So your career should have a strategy, it should not be an afterthought.

Career strategy and being intentional about creating your career is my passion. 

I want more people to step up and into a career that’s aligned with who they are, their values and authenticity... 

So If this has inspired you then pass it on...

If you want to learn more, please connect with me across my platforms so I can help you and others who are searching for career success.

Reach out and schedule a FREE breakthrough session with me.

📲 https://www.newhorizoncoaching.com.au/call 

You have my word it will be a real conversation about YOU.  What your needs are, where you currently are in your career and most importantly where you want to be. 

Following this we can discuss how we will overcome any of the roadblocks, what strategies will help you and of course what working together will look like.