How can a new employee become a leader?

This question of how a new employee can become a leader brings up the age-old dilemma of whether leaders are born or made. I tend to side with “both”. This is not me being diplomatic or neutral; I literally mean both. On the one hand, I believe we are all born leaders. Some people choose to embrace this while others retreat and succumb to peer pressure, social expectations and what’s “supposed” to be. There’s no judgment here, it simply is what it is.

On the other hand, I believe that at any given point in our lives, we can choose to rediscover, redefine, and realign with our innate leadership and become a leader. So leaders are, in fact, born and when we lose our way, we can choose to recalibrate with our inner leader. Why do we deem so few people “leaders”? Well, quite simply, not everyone is up for the challenge for living on purpose, authentically, and out loud. We are all capable of this, but few decide to follow through.

For the young manager or a new employee who might be new to the workforce or a specific company, there are several tactical steps he or she can take to unleash the inner leader. First and foremost, the leader must choose leadership from a place where passion meets purpose. He can’t decide to be a leader merely because it will make his family happy or it seems like the ‘right’ thing to do. He must choose leadership very actively because it feels authentic, real, and aligned with his overall purpose.

This might seem “woo-woo”, but it’s actually the one step that will make or break the possibility for leadership. If we decide based on external forces, the change will be short-lived. If we decide from deep-rooted personal conviction and authenticity, it still sticks – permanently.

Once the new employee or leader is at a place of choice, these are some steps and tools that will help accelerate her track – regardless of how new she might be to the workforce or industry.

1. The Power Of Questions

   When you change the types of questions you ask, you actually get the answers you are searching for. I cannot possibly overestimate the importance of this tool. It seems so simple. Due to its simplicity, people often overlook it and as a result and miss tremendous opportunities. Begin every question you ask with the words “What”, “How”, or “Why”.

   Stop asking close-ended questions. You might get the answers you want by asking shallow Yes/No questions, but you are not getting the answer that you need. Starting questions with open-ended words such as “what”, “how”, or “why” pushes the other person to a place of solution. They are forced to think, generate solutions, and imagine possibilities.

   Think about the difference between the questions “Was that presentation good?” versus “What would a good presentation look like?” Same essence, completely different results. You will appear brilliant because you are forcing the other party – no matter if it’s the CEO or an intern – to think deeper and search for opportunities. This changes everything and can play an important role in helping a new employee on the way to become a leader.
    

2. The Power of Listening

   Once you ask the question, it doesn’t end there. Next comes the most critical part – actually listening to the answer. No need to roll your eyes, I know it sounds obvious. But think about how many questions you ask where you are already playing the hypothetical answer in your head while thinking about the next follow-up question.

   When I say listen, I mean completely and utterly suspend your agenda and listen to what is being said, to what is not being said, and to all of the grey area in between. That’s Step 1.

   Step 2 is actually playing back exactly what you heard. Acknowledge what you heard by paraphrasing, adding your own insights and intuition, and giving the listener the satisfaction that you actually heard what he or she said.

   Being heard is a gift. It is so rare in our society today that the person who hears (not just listens) will instantly stand out as a leader. This is the person that people will start turning to for advice, guidance, and brainstorming. You are making yourself a linchpin in their world because you offer something that no one else does – a genuine concern for what is being said, what feelings are coming up, and everything in between.
    

3. The Power of Purpose

   Finally, when you’ve mastered the art of questioning and listening, you are able to return to your strengths and purpose. You have made yourself indispensible because you have chosen to suspend your agenda to truly learn what is going on at the surface level and underneath layers and layers of politics. Now, it’s time to recalibrate your “why”.

   When I say your “why”, I mean it in the very visceral sense. Why do you do what you do? As Simon Sinek says, people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. People “buy” (make decisions, give promotions, etc.) based on emotions, not on facts and figures. So, determine your “why”.

   Once you know why it is that you are so ready to become a leader, the decision-makers will not only see this in you, but also feel this through you. When you are passionately aligned with your purpose, the ebbs and flows of business don’t throw you off. You are the calm in the storm and everyone will naturally and effortlessly be attracted to this. 

   And before you know it, with the seemingly most simple of steps, you have transformed from the new employee to the one that everyone turns to. You have become a leader because you have followers. You have a cohort of people who feel good around you because you ask the right questions, truly listen and hear what is being said, and then take this all on in the most authentic way – by being you.