Why You Don’t Need to be a Natural-Born Leader to Succeed as One

So, you want to become a successful manager and learn the skills required for successful leadership. You’ve come to the right place! Did you know that only 10% of people intrinsically have what it takes to be a manager? This Gallup statistic speaks volumes on how important it is for consistent reflection and the dedicated investment in professional development necessary for most on a managerial track.

As Brené Brown says in her bestselling novel, Dare to Lead, “You can’t fully grow and contribute behind armor. It takes a massive amount of energy just to carry it around– sometimes it takes all of our energy.” We love this piece of wisdom– especially for those on a managerial path– because it stresses the importance of a growth-mindset.

Becoming a successful leader is not just about possessing various hard skills. It’s also about honesty and willingness to continue learning by adopting a growth mindset.

When managers are able to be honest with themselves about their abilities and performance as leaders, they are able to recognize both lapses and strengths in their approach. This information can then be leveraged to seek out the professional development resources to successfully lead teams toward their goals.

Again, we think Brené puts it best: “If you want to call these ‘soft skills’ after putting them into practice– go for it. I dare you. Until then, find a home for your armor. I’ll see you in the arena.”

In fact, the simplest and most impactful start to becoming the best manager you can be is cultivating a sturdy foundation of social and self-awareness.

These emotional intelligence skills, which largely inform the best leadership styles for both you and your team, are often overlooked when compared to technical or “hard” skills. Harvard Professional Development’s Jennifer Stine even states, “You may have learned the hard way that the skills that helped you move up the ladder aren’t necessarily the skills you need for successful leadership.”

We don’t share this information to fuel anyone’s imposter syndrome; instead, we encourage managers of all experiences and backgrounds to use it as motivation to invest in their own personal and professional development as workplace leaders. The skills of a successful manager don’t have to be intrinsic– they can be attained through deep reflection and the intention to grow. 

The antidote for getting hung up on the qualities we lack as leaders is sheer curiosity. In our experience, the big question is almost never, “How can I be the best leader to walk the earth?” Instead, the best question managers can start asking themselves is, “How can I improve from where I am today?”

We’ve had the opportunity to watch individuals transform their approach to management with a little help from Leadology programs like Activate. Making small changes over time that have an incredible impact on their strengths-based development, emotional intelligence skills, and overall performance.

If you’ve been asking yourself how to become a successful manager, even if you don’t currently possess the leadership skills that you know you need… Activate might be for you.

Eager to recognize and achieve your full managerial potential? Schedule a call with us to learn more about how you can invest in your professional development with Activate.

Let’s put in the work to grow together.