It's an illusion to think that taking up a role with 'Leader' in the title automatically grants you influence. Followers make you a leader. 

 

Leaders emerge not from the authority of their roles but from the collective recognition and support of those they inspire. This shifts the focus from ego to ecosystem; from seeking positions of power to cultivating genuine connections, trust, and vision that resonate with others. 

 

Leadership, then, is not a crown to be fought for and seized but a social contract granted and withdrawn by those who choose to follow. If you want to see this in action – super-accelerated and super-visible - I recommend attending a Group Relations conference. 

 

I explored this idea for a conference this week. Here's a short, edited video. In 10 minutes, it introduces a short visualization exercise to glimpse what activates you to follow a leader, and a reflective practice to deepen awareness of yourself as leader and follower.

Here's one of the 'The Lovely People' sculptures by Temper in Birmingham. Growing up in Birmingham, I didn't know what my passion was. There were no social media telling me that was a problem. So, it was not a problem.

 

Focusing on passions in your early career is an unnecessary luxury that diverts precious attention from practical essentials: exploring varied opportunities, gaining diverse skills, and understanding personal values and competencies. 

A skilled career coach emphasizes an adaptable, pragmatic approach, steering you away from the elusive quest for a singular passion too soon. Instead, guiding you out of your comfort zone - challenging your assumptions about the world of work and identifying what truly aligns with your evolving professional identity and long-term goals. 

Personal passions emerge from wide-ranging experience. Claiming passions too soon without a backstory will sound naïve and damage your brand.

In Q1, the Complete Career Strategy and Job Change Course grew by more than 50%. So, do take a look, if you have not visited recently - Procrastination and Failing to Plan are the most read sections this year!

 

Thanks to your questions, we now have modules on Promotion, Resigning & Leaving, Performance Improvement Plans and a big new piece on Probation periods in the Transition & Success in New Role module. Up next: Sabbaticals & Career Breaks.

 

My commitment remains for 2024: if there is a question you cannot find answered in the course, I will add it and extend your subscription by one month as a thank you.

 

To spread the word about the benefits of this course, here's a 50% off discount for your friends and family. Just ask them to visit Complete Career Strategy and Job Change Course and enter coupon code F&F2024 at checkout to get 50% and join us on the journey. 

 

You could take this interview question as an invitation to talk about failure. Better answers include a bigger cast than just you; reflect on your vulnerability in a group - probably a team - and how your vulnerability was a resource for the group. 

 

Consider times when you asked for help or advice, asked a difficult question, challenged your boss' perspective or said “I don't know”. All of those questions can catalyze individuals and teams to give more than they thought they were capable of.

LinkedIn told me this week I completed 17 years as a member. LinkedIn revolutionized how we build professional relationships. 17 years ago, my few professional relationships were hard to build and hard to break. Now, it's easy to start and stop relationships, but so much harder to build them. So, let's keep in touch!