There is a lot out there on the best ingredients of leaders: who you should be, what you should do; how you should behave. I’m not going to cover that here. But being a leader isn’t the same for everyone, and not just because the differences in role, industry or remit make the variables so numerous and complex.

I’d argue it’s the people starting their leadership journey who provide the most complexity and interest and the ones who should be given the time and the space to set themselves up for success. Becoming a leader doesn’t flick a switch and you suddenly start behaving differently. I thought this once, and learnt a title change and more responsibility didn’t magically facilitate this.

In reflecting on this – and now coaching in this space – I believe there are four starter chapters to peoples’ leadership ‘books’ that are very important to write in order to set yourself up for success.

Chapter 1 – understanding the good and the bad about yourself and others

Actually acknowledging what you’re really good at isn’t a very English thing to do. But it is important to do. Reflecting on those things you smash out the park and sit in your comfort zone gives you the confidence to be an authority and set the example. Equally important is recognising those things that you‘re not so strong at and would rather give a swerve to. For me, I accepted that spending lengthy time in spreadsheets wasn’t my bag – and I developed ways to compensate for that. OK, a small example, but it had a big impact. To go a step further, you can complete your balance sheet of strengths and weaknesses by understanding where others around you are best placed to operate to create a harmonious picture.

Chapter 2 – mastering the landscape within which you’ll operate

Depending on your role and organisation, this may well be your biggest chapter. Regardless of size, though, understanding the personalities and the politics in which your remit operates will give you a decent advantage. Doing this is one of the vital ingredients in being able to move from a position of control to influence (*the subject of a future article!) where you become the conductor of a wider orchestra as opposed to being the virtuoso violinist. Understanding this landscape against the success criteria for your role and what you’re expected to deliver will serve you well.  

Chapter 3 – building your own leadership toolkit through doing and trying

 ‘Doing’ leadership is a bit like trying a new sport and realising there are muscles in your body you didn’t even know existed. Sure enough, to continue that analogy, you may well ache for a while after, too. Giving yourself the time and space to develop and flex those new muscles is key. Having security in those things you’re best and worst at (see chapter 1) will give you a head-start on this. What I realised when I moved to leadership was that those things that had previously served me so well would not necessarily guarantee the same results in future. Taking time to understand yourself and the context within which you operate will create the canvas (and the space) for you to try new things and behaviours. Sure, those muscles will hurt – and in different ways for different people – but you have to try things, see what has impact and develop your own unique style.

Chapter 4 – Reflecting, learning and refining over time

No one gets it right first time – and neither should they. Leadership development comes in phases and arguably never ends. How you start and gain confidence mightn’t be where you end up. Surrounding yourself with mentors and people who’ve trodden your path before (in or outside your organisation) will provide independent scrutiny to keep you fresh and open to different ways of doing things. Accepting that you won’t always get it right is important. Moulding other elements into your toolkit based on experience, your landscape and those things you’re best (and worst) at, equally so.

Is there a chapter 5 and beyond? Almost certainly. I’d be curious to know what other chapters people feel are relevant. In summary, though, it’s important not to put pressure on what the ‘finished book’ (if that’s even a thing) looks like. People and organisations change, and how you lead should move in step with that. You never stop learning new things about yourself and the more open you are to acceptance of the flux in your leadership balance sheet, the better. You’ll ultimately be better and more durable for it.