6 things You Should Know Before Taking Up A Leadership Role.

Many who aspire to occupy leadership positions are often consumed by the glamour and perks of the office but do not have an idea of what leadership truly is about. Leadership can be challenging,  exciting, and rewarding at the same time. Stepping into a leadership position as a first-timer comes with its peculiar pressures, and how you handle them would have a huge impact on the results you get. Are you considering or on the verge of being assigned to a leadership role?  The following are five things you should know before you take up such a role in your organization or anywhere. 

1) Leadership is about people

Before now, your job was to make sure you succeeded at every task you were given. But as a leader, the new focus of your grit and grind is to help your people improve and succeed. A leader is judged by the performance of his team. 

2. Leadership is measured by outcome 

 The goals you met and the lives you transformed are what define the strength of your leadership.  The number of people you inspired to become better people at work and in their personal choices is proof of the quality of your leadership. How many people have you been able to move from mediocrity to committed experts? 

3) People buy into you before they buy into  the task

What makes leadership a tough call is not exactly the task but the people component involved in it. It's hard to get people to willingly do what you want and how you want it done. People's perception of you directly affects their attitude towards work.  To be able to influence and motivate people to accomplish a task, they must be able to trust you. Trust is the key to relationship success. People must trust you enough to follow and commit to your leadership. Therefore you must become intentional about building trust and demonstrating character to your people. Be available to your team and be willing to let them hold you accountable when necessary. You have to prove to your team members that they can count on you always. 

4) Your people's performance depends on you

Your people will depend on you for direction, motivation, and empowerment. Your ability to provide them with those at the right time and measure is what will increase their chances of success. Set clear and compelling goals. Invest in learning for your team and also motivate your team members to learn for themselves too. Encourage greater collaboration, cooperation, and information sharing among team members. .Provide regular feedback to your team and help them to take advantage of feedback to improve personal and group effectiveness. 

4) You need a new mindset

People are recommended for leadership positions when they consistently achieve set goals made possible by taking and adhering strictly to the rules and instructions while running to the leadership for help when challenges are encountered.   But now as the leader, you will be the one to hire, give the strategic instructions others will follow, and solve all the major attendant problems when they arise. This requires a whole new dimension of thinking. To become an effective leader you must be willing to embrace a lot of changes and adapt new perspectives to issues.  Your thinking would have to move from that of an employee to that of an employer. 

5)  You will not have all the answers

As a leader, you may be involved in giving an oversight function that covers diverse people, units, and sometimes a whole branch. Your knowledge will surely not be sufficient for every single moment. You will not possess the core competency required to execute diverse ideas and manage all the segments of the organization. You will certainly not have all the answers. It's important to acknowledge that your job as a leader is not to know everything but to know enough to provide an oversight function to all. Ask a lot of questions and never be embarrassed by your ignorance. No man is omniscient. 

6)  You should be clear about the job expectations

Failure results when the outcome and the expectations don't match. Being a successful leader requires that you clarify the organization's objectives and expectations of the leader. This will not only help you evaluate what you are bringing to the table, but it will also help you identify how to be a considerate and helpful leader. Clarifying leadership expectations will enable you set realistic goals and determine what your personal, and team priorities should be and what needs to change.

Lastly, leadership is a big deal. Your failure or success is impacted by the level of your preparation and skill. Your leadership will gain traction when you effectively combine competence, commitment,  goals, and preparedness.