Can I get a … leader?

I have been wanting to right another blog post for a couple months, but I just couldn’t think of how to start it. Finally I saw a quote on LinkedIn that gave me the kick start I needed…

“Managers light a fire under people. Leaders light a fire in people.”

I have seen variations of this quote a few times and every time I see it, I get excited! I love this attitude! I have worked for seven different businesses and many superiors up to this point in my life. There are not too many that have this mentality with their employees. I know it can be difficult to always be a leader when the “going gets tough” some days. There are some times when you are in crisis mode and all you can do is light “fires” under people.

Communication and planning play a big role. Checking in with your employees on the completion of a task should not be the only time you communicate with them. The jobs where I have been happiest have been where I have been in sync with my supervisor the most and been a part of their planning process. There are some jobs where you dread your boss wanting to talk with you because communication is so rare or it is basically just about your job performance . I have found when your supervisor has a long term plan for your department and when you get to have a part in it, you can really feel like you are a part of the team. The long term plan always puts you in proactive mode instead of reactive mode which is much less stressful, at least in the IT field!

Managing and Leading other people is not something I have an abundance of experience with, so these are just my observations plus a little Business Degree. My Bachelor Degree is in Management but book knowledge is nothing compared to real world experience in dealing with other people. What I can say is that I had the wonderful experience of leading an intern about two years ago at my previous job. He went on to become a great employee at that company and I truly value that time. I can’t wait to be able to mentor and lead another person again.

You don’t even have to be a manager or a boss to be a leader. You can be a leader with your coworkers by shining a bright light on their bleak day. I have had a few teachers that had great leadership qualities and pushed me out of my comfort zone. You can be the one positive voice in an array of negativity!