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
Monday Mood Booster: Weathering the Storm
Welcome back! While the forecast for this week may have lots overcast days in store, and it might feel easy to let that get you down, remember that it’s thanks to the rain that the spring flowers all around us can blossom even more beautifully. This week, we’re here...
Feel Good Friday: Day by Day
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of the work week--again! Taking things day to day, week to week, is a helpful way to take the overwhelming task of living in these unprecedented times and break that experience down into smaller, more manageable chunks, much...
Staying Mentally Present at Work Each and Every Day
Given our focus this week on taking things day to day, our suggestions today offer up ways to help you stay mentally present in your workplace, one day at a time. We know that it can be easy to lose focus. Take a moment to acknowledge that. The world offers up plenty...
Monday Mood Booster: Day by Day
Welcome back! As our unprecedented times continue, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the circumstances we’re currently facing. Which is why it’s best to do what we advise doing in your workplace: break obstacles down into smaller pieces. Writing...
Feel Good Friday: Hope
Happy Friday! Today is a great day to find something to celebrate, even something small. Spring is truly here. You can always find inspiration in the changing of seasons, especially now as the sun shines longer and longer each day. Know that it’s okay to find joy...
Navigating New Paths In Your Professional Environment
Part of having hope is being willing to lean into the unknown, knowing you’ll come out the other side. We know you can do it, too! While living in unprecedented circumstances may mean navigating uncharted territories, don’t lose hope. We know that you have the ability...
Wednesday Wellness: Hope
Happy Hump Day! You’ve made it to the middle of the week and you can make it through the rest of what your work week has in store--and anything the world throws your way, in your workplace and beyond. Just as spring provides a chance for new growth after the cold and...
How To Keep Having Hope In Your Workplace
Given our theme this week, today we’ll be examining thoughts from the pros on the value of having hope, both in and out of the workplace. These experts provide methods for moving through your fears, skills you can develop more fully now and bring with you into any...
Monday Mood Booster: Hope
Welcome back! Spring is in the air. Birds are chirping, fresh breezes are blowing, and sunset grows later and later. While there are a lot of changes happening around all of us, it’s important to take time to enjoy these familiar comforts, to find hope amongst the...
Feel Good Friday: Endurance
Happy Friday! You’ve made it to the end of your work week and have just a little bit further to go before you can rest up and recharge over the weekend. Remember that resting is just as important to persevering as engaging in measured action itself. Make sure to also...
Wednesday Wellness: Endurance
You’ve been working hard, whether remotely or on-site (or in seeking new opportunities), throughout the past year as we’ve navigated these unprecedented times. As the time has passed, continuing onwards through more uncertainty might feel overwhelming, but you have...
How To Persevere In Any Work Environment
Today we’re continuing our theme of maintaining your sense of endurance within any professional environment, on-site or remote. As we continue navigating the year mark of our unprecedented times, we know that you might be feeling blue. But you have the strength to...
Monday Mood Booster: Endurance
Welcome back! With the need to adjust to daylight savings time happening alongside tackling a year of unprecedented circumstances, right now it may feel like you’re running a marathon. Remember that life is always a marathon rather than a sprint, and that just as...
Feel Good Friday: Communication
You’ve made it to the end of the week! As work draws to a close, be sure to continue thinking about how your clear communication can serve as a source of inspiration and resilience. Know that it’s okay to not be a perfect speaker right off the bat; it’s a skill to be...