Yahoo Finance New Graduates: So You Want to Be a Leader?
It's high school and college graduation season, and for all graduates it's a time of celebration as well as great uncertainty. The planned part of your life is over: it's time to invent and live the rest. How does the future look for you? Just the thought can be frightening.
The good news is that things change so rapidly now, including time spent in a job, that you don't have to plan out every part of your career. However, it is smart to have a general idea of your eventual goals. For example, you may know that you want to get a higher degree one day, obtain a certification or even work at a zoo. Use the beginning of your career as a time for exploration to help you solidify those goals and their timing. And remember, nothing is set in stone. You can always make changes, even if you start on one path and decide it's not right for you.
[See: 8 Ways Millennials Can Build Leadership Skills.]
A lot of graduates set out with the idea that they want to do or be something big -- solve global warming, cure cancer or invent the next Facebook. Those are difficult things to do and while they are admirable aspirations, there are smaller ways you can make an impact on the world. There is one thing that making an impact requires, and that is leadership.
Learning Leadership. Former CEO of GE Jack Welch believes that there are five essential traits of leadership: positive energy, the ability to energize others, passion, edge and the talent to execute. He thinks people are either born with the first three traits or not, but the last two -- edge and the talent to execute -- can be taught.
As a new graduate, this is important to recognize because new hires at any level will not arrive knowing everything and are not expected to. The best way you can learn is to jump in immediately and really dig into your work. Even if it's not your favorite job, you should always do your best, because it will help you in ways you may not realize at the time. Edge requires self-confidence because it speaks to your ability to make hard decisions, knowing when to say yes and when to say no. The more you practice, the easier it will become.
[See: Famous CEOs and Executives Share Their Best Career Advice.]
Living Leadership. Whether you possess the three inborn traits that Welch identifies or not, there are ways to cultivate your leadership skills. Carla Harris, a senior client advisor and managing director at Morgan Stanley, as well as chair of the National Women's Business Council, spoke about what it takes to be a true leader in her April 2016 commencement address at Columbia College in South Carolina. She offered the following advice to new graduates.
-- Leverage Others. No one can be successful alone. In order to be an impactful leader, you cannot be afraid to ask questions and for help. When you're looking for the right solution, leverage other people's experience and relationships.
-- Recognize Change is Inevitable. You've heard it before -- the only constant in life is change. As a leader, you need to be comfortable with a lot of change. Nowadays, products and technology are replaced every two years. You must keep up with these shifts and accept them gracefully.
-- Be Authentic. You and what you offer are your competitive advantage, and if you are always true to yourself, you will always have that advantage. Where you can be the most genuine, you will have the most success. Know your strengths and weaknesses as a leader, and be able to answer the question: Why should people follow me? You inspire others to be true to themselves when you are, which creates a high-performing work environment.
-- Take Risks. As a leader, you will have to take risks and you will inevitably make mistakes. Be comfortable with that and realize that you can come back from anything. You are more resilient than you may realize.
[See: How New Grads Can Beat the Odds in Job Market Roulette.]
To be an influential leader, you must recognize and develop the skills that you possess as well as those that you need more practice in. It takes time and patience. If you want to make an impact on a small or large scale, knowing yourself and how to maintain and utilize the resources around you will be paramount to your success.
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