Top Tips to Achieve Leadership Roles

🧭 What is a Leader?

Leadership is the ability to influence, inspire, and empower others toward shared goals. It is not about authority or charisma; it’s about trust, service, and consistent action. As John Maxwell says in The Law of Influence, “The true measure of leadership is influence—nothing more, nothing less.”

As a leader, your role is to serve and uplift others, not merely to help or fix them. True service stems from valuing individuals for who they are, recognising their worth, and empowering them to reach their full potential.

Leadership vs. Management

📖 Leadership and Management Aren’t the Same (John Kotter): “Management is about coping with complexity. Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change.”

Aspect	Leadership	Management
Focus	People and vision	Systems and processes
Goal	Inspire and create change	Maintain efficiency
Approach	Influence and empowerment	Control and coordination
Outcomes	Innovation and trust	Stability and consistency

Key Characteristics of a Leader:

• Visionary Thinking: Leaders anticipate opportunities and challenges, charting a clear course for their teams. This aligns with Maxwell’s Law of Intuition, which emphasises that “Leaders see more than others see and before others see.”
• Service-Oriented: Effective leaders value people and focus on serving them rather than controlling them. Servant Leadership by Robert Greenleaf highlights that leadership is about fostering growth in others.
• Empowerment: Leaders are not threatened by other talented individuals. Instead, they lift others up and equip them with the tools to succeed. The Law of Empowerment reminds us that empowering others makes leaders indispensable, not dispensable.
• Character and Integrity: Trust is the foundation of leadership (The Law of Respect). People follow leaders with integrity, especially in times of adversity.
• Resilience and Courage: Leaders persist through challenges, demonstrating courage and determination (The Law of Victory).

Tips on getting Leadership positions

🪞 Reflect on your interests, priorities and skillsets

Great leadership starts with self-awareness. Reflecting on your goals, values, and strengths helps you focus on roles that align with your personal and professional growth.

📖 Stephen Covey’s Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind. Define your vision to ensure that every role you pursue contributes to your larger purpose.

Steps to Reflect and Grow:

1. List your interests, strengths, and values.
2. Identify areas where you need growth and actively seek roles that challenge you.
3. Align your goals with opportunities that allow you to make a meaningful impact.

💡 Example: Early in my journey, I joined various societies to explore specialties. This exploration helped me identify my passions and develop foundational skills like project management and communication.

👋 Get Involved Early, Show Initiative and Demonstrate Dedication

Demonstrating initiative and dedication sets the foundation for future leadership roles, as it shows your credibility. Start small by joining committees or volunteering for specific tasks. These early contributions act as stepping stones to learn how organisations function, build a positive reputation, which will ultimately pave the way for future leadership opportunities.

To secure leadership roles, start small and build your credibility. Volunteer for tasks that demonstrate your commitment and reliability.

📖 The Law of Process (John Maxwell): “Leadership develops daily, not in a day.” Consistency in effort and improvement is key to building trust and influence.

📖 Grit (Angela Duckworth): Passion and perseverance in small roles pave the way for future leadership opportunities.

Steps to Show Initiative:

1. Volunteer for subcommittee roles to understand how organisations function.
2. Take responsibility for tasks like event planning, sponsorships, or social media management.
3. Consistently deliver high-quality results to build trust and credibility.

These early contributions act as stepping stones to pave the way for future leadership opportunities.

💡 Example: I started by volunteering to manage small projects, like organising events and handling social media. These roles taught me practical skills, and my consistent effort built a foundation of trust. When leadership positions became available, I had already demonstrated my dedication, making me a strong candidate.

👥 Network, Build Relationships and Communicate your Aspirations

Leadership is built on influence, and influence starts with relationships. Engage with your peers, mentors, and leaders to establish trust and visibility.

📖 John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership introduces the Law of Connection, which states: “Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.” Leadership is as much about connecting with people, building trust and rapport as it is about achieving goals.

📖 Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People: Demonstrate genuine interest in others, listen actively, and show appreciation to foster meaningful relationships.

Steps to Build Relationships:

1. Attend events and connect with potential mentors or collaborators.
2. Share your aspirations and seek advice from leaders.
3. Be supportive of others’ goals to create a network of mutual respect.

💡 Example: Networking at events helped me meet like-minded individuals, leading to meaningful collaborations and mutual support. These relationships not only enhanced my leadership skills but also fostered a community where we helped each other succeed.

💬 Seek Feedback and Self-Reflect

Seeking feedback and reflecting on your experiences are crucial for growth. Constructive criticism can help you refine your approach and develop the self-awareness necessary for effective leadership.

📖 Carol Dweck’s Mindset explores the transformative power of a growth mindset—the belief that abilities can be developed through hard work and feedback. Leaders who embrace this mindset view challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.

📖 In The Advantage, Patrick Lencioni highlights how vulnerability and openness to feedback build trust within teams. Leaders who are willing to admit their shortcomings inspire respect and authenticity.

Steps to Embrace Feedback:

1. Regularly ask peers or mentors for constructive feedback.
2. Use feedback surveys to gather insights.
3. Reflect on feedback and create an action plan to address weaknesses.

💡 Example: Seeking feedback during my roles as society president helped me improve my communication and delegation skills, earning the trust and respect of my peers.

🔁 Stay Consistent and Resilient

Leadership requires resilience. If you don’t secure a role initially, remain committed and continue to demonstrate your dedication.

📖 Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is the Way frames challenges as opportunities for growth. Leaders find strength in adversity, using setbacks as stepping stones for future success.

📖 In Failing Forward, John Maxwell emphasises that failure is not the opposite of success but a part of the journey. Every setback is a chance to learn and grow, moving closer to your goals.

📖 The Law of the Lid (John Maxwell): “Your leadership ability determines your level of effectiveness.” By consistently improving your leadership skills, you raise the ceiling of what you can achieve.

Steps to Build Resilience:

1. Stay consistent in your contributions, even when progress seems slow.
2. Treat failures as learning experiences and adjust your approach.
3. Focus on long-term goals rather than immediate outcomes.

💡 Example: When I didn’t secure a leadership role on my first attempt, I remained actively involved, taking on smaller responsibilities to continue developing my skills. Over time, my dedication paid off, and I secured roles where I could make a meaningful impact.

💡 Final Thoughts

Leadership is a journey of growth, service, and influence. By reflecting on your goals, staying resilient, and consistently adding value to others, you’ll position yourself for success in any leadership role.

Remember, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Focus on serving others, and the trust and influence you build will open doors to meaningful leadership opportunities.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where I’ll share actionable strategies for leading effectively and leaving a lasting legacy.