VPM intern Bethany Whiteman shares with us what she’s learned about how to strengthen her leadership skills while working here.
“Leaders come in all shapes and sizes so it might be difficult to decide whose methods are best suited for the work you’re doing. So pick what aspects of the leaders that you admire and create your own method. These last few months at VPM, I’ve adopted some new skills of my own from the managers and directors I’ve worked with. Here are 3 practices that I’ve found helpful for strengthening my leadership skills:
Don’t be scared to get your hands a little dirty.
Yes, being nice and charming is a great way to win over a client, but you could be cutting yourself short. Acting nice or being passive tends to slow down the process and gives more room for clients to come up with alternates, which might not include you or whom you represent. Sometimes you need to forget the nice guy at the door and simply get the job done.
Collaborate.
Trust your coworkers. At the end of the day, you are all working to better your company. Listening, collaborating and respecting one another’s ideas are the only ways your company will thrive and beat out the rest. Micromanaging and constantly nitpicking another teammate’s work will leave them anxiety ridden and feeling insecure. This will make it difficult for he/she to get inspired and speak up. So be open and mindful of your coworkers, they just might inspire you.
Their strength is your strength.
At the beginning of the day or week, set a goal for your team and then let it fall into place. Of course, keep an eye out for everyone, but let them be independent as well. Everyone has their own way of working to achieve goals. Embrace the different methods your coworkers utilize, and observe their strengths and weaknesses. When the next week rolls around, delegate tasks that meet the strengths of your coworkers.”