Be a leader at work

          A manager amongst several of his types, a programme analyst amongst many of his category, a support staff amongst numerous others like him, an office assistant amongst countless others of his group, etc – in fact any and everybody who is out at work – harbours this aspiration of getting into limelight and being recognized as a cut above others.

Who does not want to be a leader at work? Everybody does, but they do not carry the label attached to their names. To have that tag, they should know the way, go the way and show the way - which is what leadership is all about.

Personal perceptions apart, how do you set about locating yourself as a leader at work? There are scores of means and techniques, some time-tested, some purely theoretical. However, you can make use of the following tips to achieve a position where everybody looks upon you but without making known your intent:

·   Shoulder weight writes your fate:  If it is your desire to be an ‘influence’ at work, you need to take responsibility for possibly everything that has your signature on it. Remember that the price of greatness is responsibility and no action springs from contemplation, but from a willingness to shoulder responsibility. Accepting responsibility is mandatory to achieve success. This implies that so long as you are associated with an assignment, you are accountable for its failure. You need to accept responsibilities for all fiascos. There is nothing wrong if you go wrong, so you should accept responsibility for going wrong. 

·   High tide lifts all boats:   You should always think win-win. The environment around you may believe that it is only through exploitation that a person can win, but you need not subscribe to such an ideology. On the contrary, you should have faith in yourself – a faith that can bring about a total transformation in the thought processes of your seniors, colleagues and subordinates alike. Without being offensive, the clout of upbeat influence that you may be having on others should be made the most of. You should also exploit the sway that you are capable of wielding by way of boosting motivational and enthusiasm levels.

·   Burn candles at both ends:  They say that a ship in harbour is safe – but is that what ships are meant for? Remember that if you have to eat an egg, you have to break the shell. So, if you want to win, you have to risk loss. Let not the scares of being derided make you a coward. Always keep a fruit tree in mind – if you want the fruit, you have to go on the limb. Identify for yourself that crucial aspect that you believe in and that you are willing to take risk. You may take simple risk like volunteering for an assignment that everybody else wants to stay away from.  You cannot refuse to eat simply because there is a possibility of being suffocated. Be like a turtle – stick your neck out and you will move.

·   Writing is memorizing:  Somebody said that every written word is a victory over death. A leader at work is required to act – do something, take steps, proceed, be active and perform – on something or the other. If you want to be a leader at work, make that scheme. If at all there are any brainwaves that you get, reduce them to writing. These jottings may not be a map of action by any standards. If you do not write those thoughts, you will have no body to put them forward to. Therefore, in order to have a record of them, you need to jot them down.

·   No pulling shades over opportunity windows:  You do not have to create opportunities to lead. They can be found everywhere, even amongst difficulties. You simply have to be on the lookout! Even if an opportunity knocks, you still have to get up from your chair and open the door. Today, there is far more opportunity than ability. But yet it is likely to be missed out because it comes attired in overalls looking like hard work. Like the example of taking over an assignment that others are reluctant to take on – if you do so, you are on the dance floor. And opportunity does not wait for dance-partners! 

·   Endure criticism without resentment:  If you are not open to censure or denigration, you are simply living your life without a meaning. You ought to be open-minded and receptive to ideas. Such ideas come for free and could be in the form of simple clues on how to improve oneself and fare better in life. This is precisely what the leader wants – regular response and reaction.  The final proof however, lies in enduring criticism without any umbrage. Just as pain in the body is like ringing an alarm bell against disease, criticism invites your attention to the countless detrimental state of things. With criticism come newer ideas; and with newer ideas, a leader does not stop dead.

·   Pour inside out:   From what you get, you can make a living but from what you give, you can make a life. And that is exactly how you unlock yourself. Your opinions, contemplations and initiatives are meant to be shared. You should be able to experience your susceptibility; gradually you will start liking it. Once your inside is empty, you will hanker after newer plans: but where will they come from? Obviously they will come from your detractors and supporters who otherwise have very minimal expectations from you. You will have greater inputs at your disposal and thus experience a never-before type of an intellectual fortification. And that is how you will take on the mantle of a leader at work.

 The most significant quality that you, as a leader at work should possess is that of being recognized as one. And the only real training for becoming a leader at work is actually being one.