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​This week we discuss the reasons behind why so many of us wait to lead, how we can recognize our abilities to lead by addressing our fears and how to transition successfully into a leader without the need for a management job title

​It’s common to think “I don’t have the job title which warrants me to be a leader”.
 
Early in my career I struggled with this exact mindset challenge.  I thought “if I don’t have a title which gives me the power to lead, how and why would anyone listen to me in the first place”.  This mindset is especially true and often found with people who are in individual contributor roles.  We use the excuse “I don’t have the title to lead” as our justification for not stepping up to taking action, even in times when we know it’s what is needed.
 
I was well into the third year of my career when a senior partner in our office pulled me aside and gave me some much needed advice.  Let’s put it this way, it was a thump on the head in a caring way.  What he said was simple, yet incredibly eye opening:
 
“Your job title doesn’t give you permission to lead or make you a good leader people will respect, it’s more about your ability to help others achieve their goals while having their backs.  We can lead from any role in the company, there’s no need to wait to be told you can lead or given a title which means people have to listen to you.  So, why are you waiting?”
 
Urghhh, he had a point, even though in the moment my ego still wasn’t allowing me to hear it.  After a couple days of digesting this feedback I had to admit I felt pretty dumb about the way I was thinking about leadership and my role within the company.  I had to get over my ego and the thought that I needed a title to justify my ability to lead when the reality was, and still is, good leaders are those who take action and help others.  They listen, guide and influence because they’re passionate about helping others, first.  This in turns builds trust, respect and comradery – these are the building blocks and keys to being a good leader.  Titles aside, those who can build trust with their colleagues gain respect which leads to healthier interactions.  These things are possible and certainly most achievable even if your job title doesn’t reflect management.
 
Whether you have the leadership job title or not what’s important are your actions and the intent behind why you do them.  Follow these steps to help guide you down the path of leading successfully:
 
1.Let Go of Fear – the basis for our lack of leadership is fear; fear we won’t do it right, fear people will reject us, fear we’ll look stupid in the process, etc.; once we acknowledge fear is what holds us back from doing what we know is right or what we want we then can go about changing our perspective to improve the situation

2.Build the Foundation - for what successful leadership is by reading “The Go-Giver” by Bob Burg and John David Mann

3.Reflect - on who you are as a person, professional, peer and employee of your company
a.What skill sets or areas of influence do you possess which you could use to positive impact, support or mentor others within the organization

4.Channel Your Vulnerability – good leaders understand this truth, to be trusted as a leader we must be vulnerable.  This doesn’t mean crying because the creamer when bad and ruined your coffee, it means being honest and open with your intent, your struggles and perspectives to help people see who you really are.  No leader is perfect.

5.Be a Coach – listen and guide as this is the pathway to good leadership; like the old proverb says “give a man a fish and they will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”

6.Act - start small and pick one person or department you believe you can positively impact; talk with that person or department to share with them your ideas and why you believe this would be of value to them, get their buy in before moving forward

7.Inform Management - Share with your manager the idea you have to help support and mentor others within the company,  .Be prepared to provide specifics on how this could positively impact the company

8.Consistency - implement a schedule you and your new mentee can follow which keeps you on track helping them achieve their goals, key thing here is to keep it natural don’t overdue it with processes and procedures

The number one reason people opt out of entrepreneurship, which includes starting a business, being a solopreneur or even independent consultant, is fear.  The wild west of entrepreneurship can come with a lot of unknowns as ambiguity and uncertainly is often synonymous with starting a business.  It can be especially distressing for first time would-be-entrepreneurs to make the leap into small business as a result.  The transitionary period from corporate life to entrepreneur, even the thought of this transitionary period, is marked with great concern and fear which keeps people from making the jump.  For some it may be security at the current job, others it may be a lack of know-how in starting a business or simply a lack of self confidence in ones’ ability to make it on their own.  Regardless of the reason, fear is a factor all potential and current entrepreneurs must overcome.

I’ve found the best way to overcome fear is to confront it head on.  Fear grips us all, regardless of occupation, experience, background or capabilities.  The difference between the people who let fear own them versus those who use it as a tool to achieve comes down to two things: acknowledgement and action.  Rather than worry, it’s important we address our fears and understand them.  When we take the time to acknowledge our feelings and emotions it allows us to better process why we’re feeling this way, at which point we can begin to build a strategy for using those fears as a motivating force towards success.  Taking action against our fears comes in the form of slowing down, identifying your feelings, understanding the situation and then planning accordingly.  If time is on your side rest easy knowing that you can plan to be an entrepreneur first before you ever jump in the ring.  Create an attack plan, identify potential challenges and solutions on how to deal with them.  While you won’t be able to plan for everything taking a proactive approach to dealing with fear and using it as a tool perhaps may be enough for you to finally make the leap into the world of entrepreneurship.

​Key Take Away: Address your entrepreneurial fears head on, understand them and own it!

Action Item: Use your newly addressed fears as a guiding force to plan your entrepreneurial transition into being your own business owner. Build alliances, or peer groups, with other business owners to help with the transition while learning from their experiences along the way.
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Interested in learning more about entrepreneurship and hearing stories from people who have made the leap into business ownership?  Check out this event in Irvine, CA on 10/24/18: https://www.devicealliance.org/event/entrepreneur-event/