Designing Your Leadership Identity

 

The Who in the What That Makes the Difference

You are taking on a greater role, and you want to excel in your leadership.  How do you do that?

Here’s the working plan to get ahead for many out there:

• Formulate a plan. Investigate how others stepped into more leadership, and begin to do likewise.
• Work on strengthening your leadership competencies. Take advantage of resources that help to identify which leadership competencies you want to strengthen, and work on these.
• Develop a support system. Build a strategic network to help fast-track visibility and viability.
• Take on projects and initiatives that showcase your leadership abilities.
• Ask for the promotion / larger contracts / more business.

But, wait. 

Something is missing from this list.

It’s really the first thing that should happen.  It’s the very thing that will help you contribute your best work.

It’s the “who” in the equation.

Your unique leadership identity.

Who are you, and who do you need to become, in order to rise to your best leadership?

Defining this makes the difference between good leadership and great leadership.  Living the answer will help you contribute your best work.  It will keep you motivated as you work through the challenges and tests that forge greater leadership.  It will also help distinguish you from the competition.

If you haven’t taken the time to define the who, you have bypassed the one step that will set you apart as you undertake the what.  Leading with purpose, on purpose.

Here are some questions to help you begin designing your leadership identity.  You may find it useful to journal on these.

1. What do you stand for? If you could answer one question for humanity before you leave this earth, what would it be?  Why?  And how is your work important to this?
2. What unique value do you bring to the table? If you weren’t part of the equation in life, in work, what would be missing?  How would it affect outcomes at work, in the world?
3. How will you use this to make a significant imprint in the world through your work? Work without purpose is fleeting and empty.  What leadership legacy do you want to be remembered for?  And what do you need to do today in order to begin?

What does your unique leadership identity look like?  Can you describe it in one or two sentences?

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