Congratulations on landing that managerial job or being promoted to a leadership role! Perhaps you are going to get a new office. The accountability flow chart will be updated. Your schedule will quickly be populated with managerial meetings. Now what?
Leadership positions, of course, require specific skills and carry certain responsibilities—setting goals, conducting reviews, resolving conflicts, communicating priorities, and celebrating wins. Undergirding all of this is the intangible effect of what many have called functional leadership.
Functional leadership is different from positional leadership. It is one thing to be in a position of leadership and authority; it is another thing to command the respect of your team and have the ability to generate corporate traction. It is one thing to have the title on your business card which authorizes you to make certain decisions; it is another thing to have the relational leverage ensuring that decisions are implemented effectively by your team. As John Maxwell once famously quipped, “If you think you are a leader, but no one is following you, then you are just out for a walk.”
So, how do you grow beyond just having the title to becoming a functional leader with influence and impact? Here are five practical steps.
- Cultivate Integrity
Good leaders always lead by example. You cannot expect to build a joyful, effective, productive, and satisfied team if all you do is issue commands from your seat of authority. You will inspire others when you step up (or rather, step down) to model the actions and attitudes you expect.
Integrity is not just about doing the right thing—it is about doing the right thing when you think no one else is watching. Integrity also requires consistency, honesty, and transparency. When you own your mistakes and treat everyone with respect, you strengthen your functional authority.
- Listen Actively
Listening to what your individual team members think and feel is a leader’s underrated superpower. Put the phone down, make eye contact, and focus on what is being said, not on how you will reply. When you take the time to ask questions and draw someone out, listening for their meaning and intent, you are saying to this person, “You matter to me.” This increases trust and respect both ways.
Actively listening to your team members does not necessarily mean you will do everything they suggest. Sometimes people just want to be heard. If they cannot have their way, at least they can have their say. This gives you the ability to consider individuals’ needs while making decisions for the greater good of the team or organization.
- Prioritize Decisively
To grow in functional leadership, you must be clear on what matters most—and you must have the courage to act on it. The tyranny of the urgent can overshadow what is really important—what needs resources and attention. People’s feelings and differing opinions can distract from and distort long-term goals and tasks.
Without a doubt, leaders make tough decisions. Make peace with the fact that you simply will not be able to please everyone. Sometimes you will have to redirect a project, prioritize resources, or let someone go. It is never easy, but priorities must be guided and governed by the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
- Mentor Enthusiastically
Functional leaders think beyond themselves to the health of the mission and long-term legacy. You care about people, helping them unlock their potential, without feeling threatened. You recognize they have skills and contributions that will advance the mission—abilities that you do not possess.
Determine to multiply impact by mentoring. When you become excited about the growth of your team members, it creates a ripple effect with contagious energy, and it builds future leaders.
- Grow Steadily
Teams are not mobilized on the first day of your new leadership role. It takes time. A lot of time. But steady growth builds strength that lasts.
Show up, learn daily, and stay rooted.
Looking for guidance, assistance, or strategy in your leadership? CLICK HERE or call us today at 724-733-1200 to learn how Infinity Concepts can help.
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