A continuación, te explicamos cómo puedes superar los desafíos de la transición a un rol de liderazgo en Estrategia.

Building credibility as an Executive Director after transitioning from an Army Officer required me to demonstrate consistent competence, integrity, and dedication. I leveraged my military leadership skills to deliver results and make informed decisions, showcasing my reliability and strategic thinking. By establishing open, transparent communication with stakeholders and actively listening to their concerns and feedback, I fostered trust and demonstrated respect for their perspectives. Delivering on promises and being accountable for my actions further solidified my reputation. Engaging in continuous learning and staying updated on industry trends ensured I led with informed insights.

Credibility, or cred, is important whether in the streets or in business. You can start by examining within your own company that vision and mission. Look at the direction of the company in terms of acquisitions, prioritisation, allocation of resources and human capital. You would also need to demonstrate that you have a clear mind when it comes to making strategic decisions. Start by showcasing it in smaller forums of it in your own team. Then, you can use that to demonstrate to a larger group. You can also use testimonials from colleagues, business partners, or collaborators who can vouch for your skills, professionalism, and effectiveness in working together.

Regular 1-1's have worked really well for me. Spend time for personal catchup and small talk. Then ask some good questions and listen. Listen much more than you talk. And listen especially for what is exciting and energizing them and what's demotivating them. Make sure your questions are open ended. Bonus points if the questions start with "What" or "Who" or "How" not "Why." It sounds less judgmental that way. What's energizing you in your work right now? How would you approach that? Who can you partner with on that project? If you ask, then be quiet and listen, you'll learn a lot.

When you are a leader, it's imperative that you understand the make-up of your team. Everyone come to the table with their strengths and weaknesses. It's your job to figure out how to leverage their strengths and minimise their weaknesses for the good of the team and company. It's also important to understand how they can compliment you to maximise your strengths and to offset your weaknesses. Motivation is another area that you need to examine in your team. Everyone gets motivated in a different way, therefore him to figure out how you can motivate your team to greater heights.

Do you have a vision for your company or for your team? It's important to articulate this vision to people around you so then everyone knows where you stand. Articulating a vision is basically stating where we are now, where we are going to, and how are we going to get there. Communication of this vision is very important and should be done frequently. Even though people might have heard it before, it's important to keep repeating it so then everyone is on board and understand said you are totally to this decision. Only then, will others buying and will travel along with you on this journey.

Communicating your vision to your team is so important for effective leadership. I've seen firsthand how a lack of clear communication from leaders can leave a team feeling lost and disengaged. To prevent this, make sure you're articulating your strategic vision clearly and regularly. Keep your team in the loop about where the business is heading and why it matters, and encourage them to ask questions and get clarity. This open, two-way communication aligns efforts and keeps everyone motivated to tackle challenges together.

How adaptable are you? Unfortunately, it's not one of those things that can be calculated easily. Therefore important to keep demonstrating that you are adaptable by responding to changes or new information. When you get new information after committing to a decision, how open-minded are you to change your mind and move into a new direction? If your team sees that you're open to receiving new information and will change direction if needed, they more likely to respect you and come to you with their ideas.

How do you manage conflict? Well, that would depend on the situation. Sometimes the conflict is over small things that can be easily resolved. In other times, there are long-standing issues between team members. in more serious situations, you could be leading a team that has been long neglected by the rest of the company. How do you deal with the emotions then? It's important to act fast to resolve conflicts. Although some people might advocate to get on with the job and ignore the rest, I believe it's important to 1st address all these long-standing issues, then start with a clean plate.

Something that is missed a lot is actually reflecting on the decision that were made and how they could've gone differently. Have you ever read a business case study and thought, "Wow, what if they tried something else instead?" Well, now your chance to actually examine the decision that was made and alternative actions that could've been taken. This will only make you better at dissecting the strategy use and figuring out what could've been done better. This will only make you better and applying strategy in your own life and business

Speaking from experience, it starts with TRUST. Once you get a leadership position, your first responsibility is to talk to people and gain their trust. Make sure that they know that you will always be there for them. No matter what problems they have, assure them that you will act as their friend, not a boss. Especially if you've been colleagues with these people before you took on leadership responsibilities, it's crucial to treat them as you did before you took on that leadership role. Make sure that people know that everyone is an expert in their domain, and you will actively listen to their opinion. After that, MOTIVATE them. See what motivates each team member and be their companion in achieving their goals.