Moving Into Senior Leadership

​The big jump into senior leadership doesn’t have to be that way. If organisations nurtured their people from one level to the next, new senior leaders would be ready to take the bull by the horns. 

By this time, a leader must have already shown some sense of being a visionary, someone able to traverse new boundaries into the unknown. Creating a Vision is one thing, engaging teams to follow, is another. 

Language and communication sit at the crux of this level of leadership. To be able to pull all stakeholders together towards a common goal takes a charismatic leader.

In the Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) toolbox I learnt the language of influence, used frequently by the most enchanting orators. Shocked at the simple structure of this language model, I realized the importance of structure on my leadership journey to this level. 

Again, things were made so easy when I knew how to use language strategically. In the past, I thought great leaders were born. This was the turning point of my life. Great leaders could be made too. 

My big picture mind that sprung from the Myers Briggs (MBTI) personality profile helped in carving out organizational strategy. While I had teams to help execute, I found it easy to put building blocks together for the intended outcome.

Senior leaders must love change as landscapes ahead are ever-changing! Adaptability and flexibility, two traits deemed crucial from this point on, to hit the ground running moving into the abyss ahead.

That adventurer mindset to a large extent is needed for senior leaders today. With this goes a high level of energy and similar teams to support. These are some reasons why a change leader will attract a similar style team. 

As the team wins with its senior leadership, so does excitement and enthusiasm that creates a sense of belonging, Maslow’s third level of needs that individuals aspire to. 

At the end of the day, it is the senior leader that attracts everything from their teams to projects and clients. Influence must exude out of a leader at this level that pairs with confidence that individuals are able to see and feel.

Ultimately, senior leaders are the glue that hold parts together. They know how to re-invent if need be and charge forward.