How To Be A Guiding Light In Your Workplace
So you’re looking to take on even more responsibilities at work; you’ve mastered your position and now want to shine even brighter so that your boss can see how ready you are to grow into a new role. Today we discuss the best ways to tackle both rising to the top and rising to the challenge of being a guiding light amongst your colleagues. Even if you’re not looking to step into a leadership role right this very second–even if it’s instead something you’d like to do a little further down the line–the tips from pros that we’ve assembled below are sure to make you stand out as an indispensable employee.
Jo Miller at The Muse provides “5 Ways You Can Position Yourself as a Leader (Before You Have Any Followers).” Our favorite? “Be Boldly Self-Aware. Do you know your workplace brand? In other words, are you aware of the unique impact you make in your office and how others perceive you? If you want a management position in your future, you should. That’s because emerging leaders must possess strong self-awareness…If you haven’t yet uncovered your brand or your strengths, try taking a 360-degree feedback survey or asking a trusted manager, mentor, or colleague to describe how he or she thinks you’re perceived by others. Listen for positive traits that are referenced more than once, and then aggressively seek out opportunities to apply those strengths.” This tip is great for so many reasons! In order to be a leader in your workplace community, you have to first learn how you fit into the organization’s needs. Both the research and implementation of your leadership efforts serve as ways to actively engage with those around you rather than just passively planning.
Yun Siang Long and Kelly Kuehn at Work It Daily also offer up a way to take others into account while still setting yourself apart: “Be Open To Receiving Feedback. Be open to criticism, otherwise you are just living off your own opinions and ideas. What does being open to criticism mean? When you are open to feedback, you are getting ideas and suggestions from others that are free. Often times, these ideas come from people smarter than you. They will give you tips on how to improve and how to be better. That’s what a leader needs—constant feedback…With no new ideas, a leader dries up.” This trick is also a great way to model the behavior you’ll want to see from the rest of your team. Witnessing you being able to roll with the punches will help your colleagues understand that they can’t take professional criticism personally—which is a key component of being a workplace leader!
A key component of both of these methods is to actively connect with your professional environment rather than sitting back and waiting for something to happen. When your colleagues are inspired by the energy displayed through your actions, they’ll want to get on your level—and you can then work together to make your professional environment the best that it can be. So let your guiding light shine!
This posting is brought to you by Contemporaries Inc., one of the best temp agencies in Boston MA. Also available for payrolling employees in Boston and Greater Boston
Recent Posts
How To Keep Going In Your Workplace
A key component of persevering is remaining motivated. So, today we’re looking at ways to do just that within any workplace! And having the right mindset is essential to building up your motivation. Mentally persevering entails finding opportunities within any...
Monday Mood Booster: Persevere
Welcome back! We know that after having time off last week, entering into this week might feel like a huge challenge. Which is why we’re encouraging you to persevere! Set the tone for the rest of your work week by getting off to a strong start. Remember that you’re...
Wednesday Wellness: Gratitude
Happy Hump Day! As the end of the week draws nearer, this is a great time to reflect on the opportunities that have come your way. And to practice gratitude for even the little things, as the way to reach your goals is one step at a time. Each small opportunity you...
How to Best Express Professional Gratitude
So, you’ve realized that you have a lot to be grateful for within your professional environment. Now what? If you’re looking for ways to express your appreciation--and to do it most effectively--you’ll want to make sure to not only read but internalize today’s tips...
Monday Mood Booster: Gratitude
Welcome back! We hope you had a wonderful weekend. This week, we’re focusing on gratitude. We know that this year has brought with it ample difficulties--and so it might feel really difficult to find things for which to be grateful amidst these present, unprecedented...
Feel Good Friday: Clarity
Happy Friday! As the week draws to a close, know that you’ve managed to navigate all of the twists and turns that life has thrown your way--and find strength in that knowledge. Know, too, that the weekend will offer up plenty of time to access even more mental clarity...
Finding Clarity In Any Professional Setting
Today we’re examining both digital and physical ways to help you gain mental clarity. Whether you’re working remotely or in person, we know that technology can often come into play throughout your work day. And we also know it can be very easy to stray from your...
Wednesday Wellness: Clarity
Happy Hump Day! And welcome to the week’s midpoint. This is a perfect time to take stock of both how far you’ve come this week and how far you’d like to reach towards your goals by the week’s end. To help you dive into that exploration, make sure you’re also taking a...
Finding Mental Clarity At Work
We know it’s easy to get swept up in the latest news cycle or distracted by social media. And as understandable as those tendencies are amidst our current, unprecedented circumstances, unfortunately employers are far more likely to view your scrolling as a detriment,...
Monday Mood Booster: Clarity
Welcome back! Amidst our turbulent times, it can be easy to get distracted and overwhelmed. You very likely (and understandably) have a lot of thoughts running through your mind right now. This week’s focus will help you pare those thoughts down, allowing you to find...
Feel Good Friday: Readjust
Happy Friday! Congratulations--you’ve made it through what we know was a weird week for many of you as you readjusted to professional environments with a bit less uncertainty. We know, too, that even that sort of change is still a change, and that it may feel...
Actively Adjusting Your Workplace Performance
Amidst our current, turbulent circumstances, it’s important to remember that not every change that comes your way is outside of your control. You can create change, too! Make sure that you’re not only reacting and readjusting to situations that you encounter. Instead,...
Wednesday Wellness: Readjust
Welcome to the week’s midpoint! You’ve made it through the first half of this week, readjusting to your work routines and adjusting as necessary to any new changes that your professional environment has thrown your way. Congratulations! But we know that the week isn’t...
How To Adjust To A New Workplace
Continuing our theme this week of adapting to change within your professional environment and beyond, today’s focus will be on concrete ways to adjust and readjust as needed. Making on-the-fly changes is a skill that is especially appreciated in situations where you...