Younger professionals coming up through the ranks of the workplace must often learn the ropes of the industry, the company and their own individual tasks. Every role they take on is new and presents them with challenges and opportunities for growth. The learning curve is steep and exciting.
As more established professionals, we have already put in the time to find our strengths and lean into them. Often when we find our main skill set, that discovery is what helps us rise to leadership positions.
However, while utilizing our strengths is one of the keys to solid leadership, we must also be very intentional about continuing our growth. Leaders with only one set of skills are only useful for a certain period of time, but then the company or economy shifts and that skill may no longer be what is needed.
An article from McKinsey discusses the year 2000 as a major example of how leaders needed to shift their skill sets and focus. “When the dot-com stock bubble burst, the leaders of those online companies, who had been nurturing fast growth for years, suddenly found themselves managing for profitability. Instead of spending whatever it might take to grow, they had to pivot and find ways to save money by laying people off, canceling projects, and eliminating waste. Those are two entirely different sets of muscles, and a leader has to be versatile enough to make the switch.”
Imagine yourself in a circle—your very own comfort zone. There you are warm, safe and cozy. However, if that circle is small, you cannot move around a whole lot. You may be stuck standing in one spot for quite a while, but if you take a small step outside of your comfort zone and try something new, that circle expands and adjusts to fit your growth, and your safe and cozy spot gets a bit bigger. However, if you take too big a step outside of that circle, the circle cannot adjust in time, and you lose your footing and fall to disastrous results.
Many of the CEOs in the 2000 stock bubble burst could not recover. Their comfort zone was too small, and learning so many new skills all at once was too much for them. For that reason, I encourage leaders to grow their strengths and experience levels outside of a crisis. That way, when challenging times arrive, they are in a better position to adjust and navigate the situation.
Taking those small steps outside of the safe circle looks slightly different for every leader. Perhaps it is taking a course on a subject matter they are not familiar with or touring company facilities and venues. It may be offering to give a presentation or lead an internal town hall. It could also be asking a colleague to take you on a “day in the life” of a different position or department. Maybe it is taking on a business coach. There are many ways to grow in knowledge, and hands-on experiences and tasks outside your main skill set can be invaluable in the future.
That said, leaders do not have to do everything themselves. On the contrary, a team of talented and seasoned collaborators is an asset to any leader. Surround yourself with these people and learn from them.
Let’s say you do not have any experience with public speaking or presentations. Seek out someone you admire with that skill and ask them to show you the ropes. Volunteer to do a presentation with them or ask them to do it yourself but with their coaching. It can sometimes be hard to ask for help because it is a way of admitting a weakness, but often, others will be flattered that you asked for their assistance and are more than willing to guide you. By surrounding yourself with people possessing differing skill sets, you can not only grow yourself but also build an expert team available to help you in a crisis.
Have you ever heard the yogi mantra, “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable”? While leaders should lean into their strengths, there is also much to be said about working toward building muscles in weaker areas. Sometimes a feeling of discomfort is a sign of growth. Are you feeling too comfy right now? What can you do today to go outside of your comfort zone and get growing?