Leadership

Alyson Getchell

January 17, 2021

Do you have leadership skills?

No, I’m not just talking about the bossy girl on the playground. Whether you’re a small business owner, or a supervisor or manager, or have any ambition of being in one of those roles someday, what are you doing to develop the skills that will help you be successful?

I have regularly heard employees say that they did not get proper training for, or that their organization did not prepare them for, the leadership role they were performing. I have also heard employers say that employees need to take charge of their own development. So, who is right? I say both.

I believe that we all contribute to — rather than control — our destiny. In that respect, I believe that each one of us has the opportunity to be better, to grow, to develop in whatever direction we choose. If you’re interested in learning to paint, you take a class, right? Or you do an internet search and find videos that teach you how to do paint. Why don’t we take the same approach to development in our careers?

Whether you own a small business or are employed by a larger organization, you have the power to sharpen your skills and abilities. You are in charge of your own learning and development.

For example, if you want to climb the corporate ladder, the next position may require leadership or management experience. How are you going to get that when you don’t have the experience? Most organizations will give credit for ANY leadership or management experience you have.

Here are my top 5 opportunities for development outside of the workplace.

1. Volunteer.

This can take on many forms. Coach a local youth sports team. Lead a committee for a community organization. Volunteer to head up a project at your place of worship. All of these are leadership experiences.

2. Take the Lead in Professional and Civic Organizations.

I cannot stress this enough. Whether it’s an organization that’s specific to your profession (I’m a member of the Society for Human Resource Management) or a civic club like Rotary, these groups are always looking for members who will join the board of directors or lead a project.

3. Work with Your Chamber of Commerce.

Your local chamber probably has traditional employees, but the majority of its committees and boards are likely run by volunteers. Most local chambers also have a leadership program, a yearlong program in which you learn more about your community.

4. Mentor.

Whether it’s through a structured program such as Big Brothers Big Sisters or a program through your local school system, mentoring is a great opportunity, not only for building your skills but also for doing some good in the process.

5. Teach something.

Start your own class — baking, yoga, whatever you’re good at. You can even start your own Facebook group and create your own short videos.

These ideas are not just for those who want to move up within organizations. Each one of these opportunities expands the skill sets of small business owners and entrepreneurs. They will also help grow the network for your business or your next job.

The bottom line is this: there’s a whole world out there full of endless opportunity. Don’t be afraid to go after it!

Facebook Tweet Pin

Alyson Getchell

For more information or guidance on employee engagement or all of your HR issues, contact Alyson Getchell with Get HR.

Alyson Getchell

For more information or guidance on employee engagement or all of your HR issues, contact Alyson Getchell with Get HR.

In the know

Enthusiasm is a Must for Success

Enthusiasm is the energy, the intense zeal, the inspiration, the focus, the fervor, the excitement, or the enjoyment found in people when they are possessed by a conscious or unconscious desire to do something. If you have ever wondered what differentiates the average person from the one who has achieved stupendous success, you will realize that it may be the intensity of enthusiasm that has helped the highly successful person reach such great heights. Those who accomplished great things in their chosen fields could not have done so without enthusiasm. Enthusiasm Gives You Sustainable Power To achieve success in your endeavors, you should never be a quitter. There may be

Equestrian Social Media

Social media is great for finding people with similar interests, and equestrian sports is no different. Whether you’re an experienced equestrian, just learned to ride, or prefer to watch from the sidelines, there’s an online community for you. I asked around and compiled a list of the best websites and social media groups for horse people here in Aiken. The Chronicle of the Horse (chronofhorse.com) Everyone I asked mentioned this site as the best place to find horse-related information. The site is based around the Chronicle of the Horse magazine, and it also hosts active blogs on a wide variety of subjects, forums where you can ask and answer questions,

Think Inside the Box

It’s outside what you expect The spaceship that I was driving must have been going a million miles per hour. At eight years old, I was enjoying the man in the moon while avoiding being seen by the Martians. It was a wonderful trip, and my box had once again made the exciting journey possible. Only moments later, I was in another world of adventure and my cabin (box) was protecting me from all the wild animals and possible spies in the surrounding forest. I had food and supplies for several days and could survive the storms, which were brutal at times. My box was my world of imagination and

Social Media | On Tolerance

If we’re transparent and honest, negative comments can become opportunities to improve customer relationships. If you’re on social media for any length of time, you’re eventually going to offend someone, even if you don’t mean to. It’s bad enough when you accidentally anger someone on a personal account, but when one of your business’s social accounts offends someone, that can be particularly fraught. Online reviews and reputation are hugely important to businesses nowadays, so much so that companies will mention Yelp or other reviews in their advertising, and sometimes even hire reputation management consultants to make sure nothing negative shows up in a search. Realistically, it’s impossible to have only