How to Grow Into Leadership – 2 Simple Steps

Have you ever wonder what it takes to move from being a great individual contributor to a manager? Or wondered how to transition to managing a larger group? Or make the even bigger jump to get into the C-suite where you lead across an entire organization?

I was talking to an individual we recently had his role expanded. He moved into the C-suite. He asked me, “Kirk what is the most effective way you’ve seen people move from managing a smaller team to leading a larger team? When you are an individual contributor, you get recognition and reward by having direct impact. However, when you lead in larger groups, you have to get results through others.”

That’s a great question. I get ask that question often. What I said to him was: “You need to remember two things.”

1. You have to get your head up. Making the transition from individual contributor to the C-suite is the toughest transition of your career. If you underestimate that, if you down play that, you will reap the consequences of that naivety.
   
2. There are only three styles of leadership that matter. However, there are millions explanations of what it takes to be a great leader. You have to learn how to hold people accountable, how to delegate, how to be a people person. You have to learn how to get performance out of others. At he same time being a great people person. There are all these explanations about what a “leader” is. But there’s only three style of leaders:

There are leaders that are for you.

There are leaders against you.

There are leaders that are for themselves.

For a more in-depth overview, read about the styles of leadership that matter.

Think about people in your life. The people that you admire most. Think about those For You Leaders.

What For You Leaders care about is: you. They care about where you’re at in your journey. They want to help you take that next step. For You leaders care more about what they can put in to get results.

Leaders that are For Themselves are more worried about what they can get out of you. It’s all about what they need to get done. They’re really good at making you feel at times like they are For You. However, under pressure you figure out they are for themselves.

It’s rare that there is a leader that’s really against you. Hardly anyone wakes in the morning and wants to wreck your life. That’s extremely rare.

There’s really two things you want to think about as you move into this transition. You’ve gotta get your head right. Understand this paradigm shift. Realize this is gonna be a tough transition. But it’s, worth it. The road to heaven does go through hell. It’s your choice if it’s a daily trip or a day trip.

The second thing: make a decision now. Are you going to be a leader known as being For You, Against You or For Yourself?

The reality is, if you want to go fast – go alone. If you want to go far – you have to lead and take others with you.

If you want go fast and far – you have to be a For You Leader.

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