100 days and beyond – A Guided Review for Lasting Success for female leaders
As leaders, we often emphasize the significance of the first 100 days in a new role. It's a period of both excitement and challenges, especially for female leaders stepping into uncharted territory. In a previous blog, I shared my insights as a leadership coach, highlighting the pivotal role coaching plays during these crucial initial days. Now, let's broaden our perspective and consider the notion that reviewing and enhancing your leadership isn't just a one-time endeavor but an ongoing process that contributes to enduring success.
Reflecting on Your Leadership
While the first 100 days are undeniably vital, it's equally important to recognize that leadership development is a continuous journey. Taking time for a comprehensive review of your leadership toolkit, your approach, and your self-leadership skills is key to unlocking your personal best. This process not only fosters your success but creates a more balanced and harmonious leadership experience for you and your team.
Building on this idea, dedicating time and resources to regular self-reflection and improvement is an investment that pays dividends. It's not just about addressing weaknesses; it's about amplifying strengths, refining skills, and adapting to the ever-evolving dynamics of leadership.
This commitment to continuous improvement is akin to an insurance policy for your leadership success. By embracing a growth mindset and actively seeking ways to enhance your leadership prowess, you fortify your ability to lead with resilience, adaptability, and authenticity.
A 360° or a Guided Review
360° Review
One powerful tool for this ongoing development is the 360° review.
This comprehensive assessment gathers feedback from various sources – peers, subordinates, and superiors – providing a holistic view of your leadership effectiveness. Embracing a 360° review can be a transformative experience, offering insights into blind spots and opportunities for growth that may have gone unnoticed.
Consider this: By investing time in periodic self-assessment, you position yourself to become a more effective leader, consistently delivering positive outcomes for your team and organization.
This approach is a complex one as there is a lot of subjectivity and potential risk of manipulation when not done correctly.
Guided Review
Shifting the focus from a formal 360° feedback process, let's delve into the concept of a guided review.
Picture a carefully curated approach, specifically designed to navigate the pivotal points of leadership for teams, leadership within the business landscape, and the intricate realm of self-leadership. This guided journey aims to provide you with targeted insights and actionable strategies, ensuring a smoother ascent to greater leadership heights.
As we illuminate these crucial touchpoints, it's essential to understand the leadership expectations that form the backbone of this process.
Leadership Expectations
Leadership Expectations Explored: In the realm of team leadership, expectations often revolve around fostering collaboration, setting a clear vision, and nurturing a positive team culture. Within the broader business landscape, strategic thinking, decision-making prowess, and the ability to align personal goals with organizational objectives become paramount. On the personal front, self-leadership expectations include resilience, adaptability, and a keen understanding of one's strengths and weaknesses.
Navigating this guided review involves a comprehensive understanding of these expectations. Picture it as a treasure map, guiding you through the leadership landscape and revealing hidden gems that, once polished, contribute to your overall effectiveness as a leader.
As we reflect on these leadership expectations, it becomes evident that continuous investment is not just a strategic choice but a necessity. Committing to growth involves aligning personal development with the expectations placed upon leaders.
Reflection on Leadership Expectations: Consider the expectation of fostering collaboration within a team. Continuous investment in leadership would involve honing interpersonal skills, promoting effective communication, and cultivating a team-oriented mindset. Similarly, aligning personal goals with organizational objectives requires strategic planning, goal-setting, and a commitment to staying informed about industry trends.
In the context of self-leadership expectations, embracing resilience becomes a focal point. Continuous investment here entails developing coping mechanisms, maintaining a positive mindset in challenging situations, and actively seeking opportunities for personal and professional growth.
In essence, the continuous investment journey aligns with, enhances, and surpasses the expectations placed upon leaders in various capacities.
A guided approach to stay in touch with the industry rounds up the triangle in which leaders operate on a d2d basis: self, team and strategy.
The Continuous Investment in Your Leadership
Embarking on the continuous investment in your leadership is akin to crafting a masterpiece of development. This centerpiece of the blog demands a closer look, dissecting its elements for a deeper understanding.
1. Commitment to Growth: At the core of continuous leadership investment lies an unwavering commitment to growth. It's not merely about addressing shortcomings but about fostering a growth mindset that actively seeks opportunities for improvement.
2. Holistic Self-Assessment: Picture a well-orchestrated symphony, where each instrument plays a crucial role. Similarly, continuous leadership investment involves a holistic self-assessment, not just focusing on weaknesses but harmonizing strengths and refining skills for a balanced leadership composition.
3. Adaptability and Learning: The dynamic nature of leadership demands adaptability and a thirst for learning. Leaders committed to continuous investment stay ahead of the curve, embracing change and leveraging new knowledge to navigate evolving landscapes.
4. Aligning with Organizational Goals: A strategic leader doesn't operate in isolation but aligns personal development with organizational goals. This alignment ensures that your continuous investment contributes not only to personal success but also to the overarching success of your team and the company.
5. The Role of Guided Coaching: Central to this continuous investment is the role of guided coaching. An external coach, with a keen understanding of leadership dynamics, acts as a compass, guiding you through uncharted territories and providing insights that propel your leadership journey.
6. Harnessing the Power of Reflection: The continuous investment journey thrives on the power of reflection. Regularly pausing to evaluate experiences, decisions, and outcomes is integral to refining leadership approaches and fostering continuous improvement.
The Catalyst for Accelerated Growth
Highlighting the dynamic duo of a coach and a mentor becomes imperative when considering the acceleration of your leadership journey. It's not just about having a guide; it's about having the right guide. A skilled coach, coupled with a mentor coach, propels your journey forward at an accelerated pace. This guided approach not only expedites your progress but also enhances your self-leadership, enabling you to tap into internal coaching resources more effectively.
While external coaches play a vital role, let's touch on the concept of internal coaching, particularly when it involves your immediate supervisor. In theory, a manager doubling as a coach may seem convenient, but in practice, it often poses challenges. Business goals can overshadow personal needs, creating a blurred line between coaching, mentoring, and issuing directives.
In reality, confiding in your superior about perceived weaknesses or challenges may be daunting. Transparency can be compromised when they are responsible for assessing your performance. This is where an independent external coach with the right qualifications can provide a safe space for candid discussions and unbiased guidance.
A Leadership Journey of Endless Possibilities
In conclusion, as a (aspiring) female leader, your journey is one of endless possibilities. Beyond the initial 100 days, committing to a continuous cycle of reflection, improvement, and coaching enhances not only your success but the overall experience for your team.
Remember, leadership is not a destination; it's a dynamic voyage. With the right guidance and a commitment to your ongoing development, you can navigate this journey with ease, fun, and unwavering confidence.
Now, as we transition to the final notes of this symphony, consider the role of internal coaching as the catalyst for accelerated growth. This dynamic duo of a coach and a mentor coach propels your journey forward at an accelerated pace. Embracing this guided approach not only expedites your progress but also enhances your self-leadership, enabling you to tap into internal coaching resources more effectively.
Conclusion and support
The first 100 days as a first-time female leader can be challenging, but you can succeed with the right support and guidance. Coaching can provide the personalized, customized support you need to navigate this critical time and set yourself up for long-term success.
If you’re a first-time female leader, I encourage you to consider working with a coach. Look for someone with experience coaching women in leadership roles, check their qualifications and credentials, schedule an initial consultation, and check their references. With the right coach by your side, you can confidently step into your leadership role, navigate the challenges and opportunities of those first 100 days, and set yourself up for a successful and rewarding career as a leader.
As a seasoned career and leadership coach with two decades of leadership experience, I'm here to support you throughout your leadership journey. If you're ready to elevate your leadership to new heights, let's embark on this transformative adventure together. Book a discovery session [here] to explore how we can fast-track your success, ensuring you lead with confidence and leave a lasting impact.
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Kathrina Engelhardt writes about why coaching can make a difference during the first 100 days as a female leader.