Take a look at where you are in your career right now. What do you see? Someone who is happy with their current role? Or someone who is keen to make the next step up the career ladder? If it’s the latter, chances are you would make a great manager. After all, you’ve got several years’ experience, you’ve put in the hours and you’ve demonstrated you’re good at what you do. But the million dollar question is: are you ready?
Even if you feel you are ready to take the plunge into management, you should always look before you leap. Here are a few of the tell-tale signs that it’s your time to move into a leadership position.
You question everything
Asking endless questions can often be seen as a bad thing. It’s not. If you are someone who asks questions as a way to solve problems and then reflect, analyse and evaluate how the business can move forwards and do things better, those are the questions your bosses want to hear. It shows the kind of passion that will take you far.
You take ownership
Do you wait until you are given responsibility? Or do you take ownership of situations and responsibilities and work hard to find the right solutions to problems? Not being afraid of accountability not only shows you are ready for management, it also means you are already operating as a manager in all but name.
You think in terms of ‘we’, not ‘me’
You may already be thinking from a manager’s perspective. This can manifest itself in the vocabulary you use in the workplace. Tackling a subject from the point of view of ‘we can do it…’ rather than ‘I can do it…’ shows you are thinking like a manager and considering the bigger picture.
You help your colleagues
If you are someone who your colleagues turn to for advice and guidance then you are right on track for a leadership role. Taking the time to help and support others not only shows you have compassion, it also shows you are very capable. Being able to help those around you and still getting your own job done is the definition of a good manager.
You share the company’s vision
All businesses have a vision – one that managers share and endorse. Having this common vision is what drives forward strategy and makes a company stronger. If you already share this vision and can come up with creative new initiatives that help move closer to this end goal, you certainly have the right mindset to take on a managerial role.
You’re a lateral thinker
To succeed in the higher ranks of a company you need to be able to think laterally. If you are able to think creatively and create innovative solutions you are an asset to any business – even more so as a manager.
You’re proactive
If you are someone who is happy to get out there and get the job done without waiting to see what everyone else does, you are one step ahead of the pack. Taking a proactive approach to work is a clear sign that you are ready for a leadership role. Whether you are proactively identifying and prioritising your responsibilities or delegating the work that is required, it’s probably time for you to step into a managerial role.
Once you have mastered the skills and attributes that make a good manager, you can prove the value you can bring to the company within a management role. And when the time comes, Lucy Bristow will be on hand to help you take that next step.
photo credit: Victor1558 via photopin cc
