Intra-Company Leadership

Positively standing out above the rest as a leader is the fastest way to move up in a company. 

How soon should you become a leader? As soon as possible! Obviously the easiest way to signalling that you are a leader is to get people to follow you and engage in your cause. In software development, this could be an initiative or a deliverable project. 

Now not everyone is a born leader, and critical introspective review of oneself may be required; for this I recommend completing 3 simple topics for a self-review: 

In terms of leadership capabilities, 

• Catalogue what you do best 
• Document what others think you do 
• List things that you should be doing. 

After this review, you may find that there are key areas in which you excel or fall short. Some simple processes can help you gain leadership abilities – and don’t forget: Practise makes perfect. 

• Identify the project or initiative requirements and position yourself as the go-to-person. It also helps if you can provide an (on-going) explanation of the project on demand. This act of explaining, often in layman’s terms is a core element of leadership. To put something in layman's terms is to describe a complex or technical issue using words and terms that the average individual can understand. 
• Identify tasks that your line-manager completes daily, weekly or monthly – perhaps you could volunteer to do these? 
• Understand your team. We are all human, make mistakes and respond differently. These traits should not be seen as weaknesses, but should be handled with sensitivity and discretion (where applicable). 
• Understanding your environment, deadlines, key reporting individuals and if possible, risks and finances.
• Celebrate successes as a team and give credit where due. 

Leadership is not simply performing your standard work items (these are expected by management), but stepping up to the challenge and adding value above whilst empowering your team to deliver their work items easier, on time and with positive/happy thoughts. 

Here are a few things for an employee to consider about leadership: 

• Leaders are made: Consider identifying a mentor to answer questions. Refine your skills. Refine again. 
• Research first, then ask: you’ll remember the answer far easier if you understand the question and the domain. 
• Grab an opportunity to lead: If you wait, that seat may be taken. 
• Peer review: Ego will only get you so far, colleagues will help keep you on target. 

The act of leadership is a complex and continual process and while there are no easy solutions, your growth as a leader will be impacted by how you take your first steps. I recommend reviewing and refining your approach often.