Lately, it’s become fashionable for leadership advice to promote frequent movement in the workplace. I believe this singular focus is harmful to those who wish to be successful in future managerial and leadership positions (especially at the start of a career). There is truth behind the old adage “Jack of all trades, Master of none.”
Strong competency is important on the road to leadership because you develop soft skills that only come from working diligently over time. Once you possess a deep understanding of your primary competency, then you can consider movement and the benefits that provides. The secret lies in achieving balance between experiences and experience.
Time and effort are essential. They provide the application and repetition required to become competent. Repetition over time affords you the experience of working through a process in differing environments – political, financial, etc. – that provide key benefits for a future leader.
Leaders know how to ask the right questions of their teams to both evaluate options and ensure sound decisions are made to deliver quality products and services.
Advice rarely applies to every situation. My focus here is leadership and not technical mastery or, necessarily, management. Clearly, if your career goal is rocket scientist you will need mastery that will take significant time. Even managers need deep understanding of the areas they manage. It is why some leaders err and promote the strongest individual contributor to management even if that individual demostrates little in the way emotional intelligence and business acumen.
Longevity does not equal competency. An honest assessment of your abilities is key to understand your level of competence and to determine if you are ready to move on. While experience in a competency is essential, there is significant value in experiences as you build your leadership skills.
There is no right answer that any book, website, or blog can give. There is overlap between management and leadership and many books discuss the similarities and differences. I’m sure I’ll add to the conversation. As stressed throughout this week your choices should be determined through personal assessment and evaluation. In fact, your career goals could and likely will change over time.
Leaders challenge status quo. Leaders transform their organizations and benefit the taxpayer or shareholder when they set strategic vision, make good risk based decisions, and possess both core competency and an understanding of other business units with a focus on the present and the future.
Thank you for joining me on this inaugural week. I trust you gained insights from the material presented and I look forward to continued dialogue in the future.