5 Ways To Lead No Matter Your Title

Making the transition from task-focused high achiever to effective manager or leader isn’t always easy.

In 1995, when my co-founder hired me out of college to realize the idea that became Angie’s List, I was a solo operator whose strength was getting things done.

The early work paid off: after a year of knocking on doors, spending hours on the phone and other initial efforts, we’d signed up our first 1,000 members in Columbus, Ohio. Angie’s List was on its way to achieving its current 2 million paid members and more than 1,000 employees.

And I was on my way to learning lots of lessons about moving from get-it-done executor to leader of the marketing team behind a growing, national operation.

In my experience, the process takes time and can be a real challenge. A task-oriented employee doesn’t necessarily possess the qualities to manage well, at least not at first. People used to achieving goals through their own efforts can be demanding and impatient with others, tempted to just do everything themselves. When I first stepped into management, I wasn’t so great at it. I had to teach myself to slow down, pay attention and nurture employees, and I still work on those skills. I credit becoming a mother with helping me appreciate how people grow and respond when guided well.

I’ve also learned that a successful organization needs all kinds of people:

• Reliable doers who take a vision and make it happen.
• Managers who can draw out the best in others and keep them focused.
• Leaders with vision, who set the strategic framework for what can be achieved.

You might imagine the process of leadership development as a spectrum: The doer becomes the manager who, in the best scenario, emerges as an inspirational leader.

But it’s also true that leadership qualities can be developed no matter where you are in an organization. You don’t need a particular title or job description to bring vision and inspiration to your work.

Here are five tips for developing leadership skills:

• Be great at your current job. Make sure you’re excelling at whatever it is you’re doing now.
• Observe and listen. Pay attention to the people around you and above you in the organization. Notice what works, and what doesn’t.
• Step up. If you have a vision, do what you can to share it. If you see a way to improve something, do what you can to make it happen.
• Be willing to evolve. Be humble enough to acknowledge your weaknesses and open to doing the work to strengthen them.
• Be patient with yourself and others. It’s been a process for me to transition from a hands-on doer to a manager and leader. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, so it’s important that I give the people who work for me room to try things and not be afraid to fail. But I make sure they know that I expect them to come to me if they run into a problem, so I can help solve it.

Angie Hicks is founder and chief marketing officer of Angie's List. Follow Angie on Twitter @Angie_Hicks