Leadership – Be High Performing

Professional service firm leaders live in high stress positions. Leadership skills must evolve to meet new demands. This is especially true as the calls to be high performing evolve. The world in which we work constantly changes. To put it another way, organizations are challenged with conditions that change at breakneck speed. To succeed in this volatile business environment, leaders frequently undertake strategic initiatives. Unfortunately, too often these initiatives are poorly chartered and inadequately executed. The role of a leader in business is to establish a clear direction and create an environment that empowers the team to achieve the desired goals.

Your role is very much like that of a high wire balancing act! In other words, you must be an expert in leadership and human relations at all times. You are in a constant state of change with your own skill development. So demonstrate leadership using a seat at the strategy table, be able to expertly facilitate meetings, make critical decisions and demonstrate empathy. It is equally important that you help craft a vision the team will embrace while positioning the firm to capture its share of the market. The areas you manage are like your own business.

There is no one definition of high performing. Take time and create a list of descriptors for your role. For example, evaluate where your time goes. Reflect on whether you say yes to everything.  Do others invite you to give your opinion? Have you tapped your successor and coached that individual? Do you learn something new every day? Do you enjoy project management? Are goals realistic and stretch?

Leadership at a high performing level requires constant change. Control and manage change in you and in your team. Dale Carnegie says leadership creates a culture that influences people to achieve group goals.