Help Yourself To Leadership

We all know somebody who has shot to the top of the tree seemingly effortlessly, and we have all looked at someone in a position of authority and thought `I could do their job standing on my head`. Competitiveness and the need to achieve is human nature. Yet an awful lot of us think we have been overlooked and our capabilities not recognized. These are the people who most benefit from self help.

From as early as Kindergarten, we are introduced to the competitive ways of the world. A sports day may seem like a bit of fun, but every child wants to win and every parent wants them to. Then through school and college we all want to be on the best teams, or be crowned prom queen etc. Ambition and self confidence go hand in hand. To succeed, both of these qualities are vital, one or the other will get you nowhere.

Let me explain further. You are the cog in the wheel that holds your whole department together. Your work output is extraordinary, your attendance exemplary but you are stuck in your position while people are leapfrogging you to the top. You would love their job, you know you can do it, but your self confidence and inability to sell yourself at that major interview is what`s holding you back.

There can be major differences between a good boss and a good leader, which one would you make? Look at your own boss, which one is he? In the perfect world, the ideal boss is a motivational leader, who gets the best out of his troops with encouragement and praise but is also approachable, without crossing the line into `friendship`. Would your present colleagues accept you as their leader or would there be conflicts? There is a lot to be considered as far as promotion is concerned.

You need to establish where you are lacking to be able to improve it. The next step is realistic, reachable targets. If you are a quiet, gentle soul, no amount of any kind of help will turn you into an ambitious, power hungry beast. You can however, bring out your leadership qualities. Get yourself noticed more, don`t hide away in the corner and pretend to be invisible. If you do a good piece of work, don`t slide it into the tray when no ones looking; stride up to your boss and give it to them personally. If it`s on the PC, print of off and show him. Make him realize how good you are at what you do.

Interviews have most of us shaking with nerves; our preparation is fine until we step into that room. Relaxation is the key, easier said than done. If the interview is for promotion within your company, don`t rattle off facts and figures and attendance etc, they know all that. Tell them things they don`t know, tell them a story about a particular piece of work, and blow your own trumpet. When it comes to the crunch question `why should you have this job` reply `why shouldn`t I?`.

There are many self help groups around, so find one in your area and sign up. Your career will thank you for it.