Leadership – You-P

The shortage of sponsoring leaders

The shortage of sponsoring leaders Observing the current state of companies and their leadership, I must conclude that we have a shortage of sponsoring leaders. Instead, more self-serving and short-sighted leaders are rising to power. I’ve heard from countless talented professionals who say their leaders are solely focused on protecting their positions and results, without investing the time to develop their employees, offering little guidance, and failing to advocate for their growth. Hence, my conclusion is that we are missing sponsoring leaders! I was very fortunate to have a couple of strong sponsoring leaders who represented me in talent discussions with senior executives and human resources, sharing important information about my skills, performance, and leadership style. Their support made a lasting impact, and I carry deep gratitude for it. So, let’s talk about what it means to be a sponsoring leader: Start by identifying the talents within your team, specifically those who have demonstrated outstanding performance and leadership skills, whether or not they hold a formal leadership title, and consistently uphold essential values such as integrity, respect for others, and impartiality. A person who walks the talk and keeps their promises. Those are the talents you need to know everything about, including their strengths, potential opportunities for improvement, personal situation, availability to relocate, educational background, achievements, and experiences. And when I say, “know everything about them,” I mean know it by heart. You never know when an opportunity will arise where you’ll need to advocate for them. The good sponsor does not miss a chance to showcase their talents; they are at the top of everything and act with agility regarding opportunities for their sponsored individuals. An excellent sponsor is passionate about people’s development and growth; they feel satisfaction and accomplishment in sponsoring talents and celebrate their success as if they were their own. If you’re already a leader, take a moment to reflect: Are you just managing performance? Or are you also sponsoring talents? Now is the time to lead with purpose, by lifting others as you climb. Think about it! By Erika Molina

Career, Leadership

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The People Leader Book

I had a mentee a long time ago, a new people leader, and I used to tell him that there is no “recipe fits all” when we are talking about people. Individuals are unique, with different personalities, needs, and perspectives, and we people leaders, need to customize our interactions with every single person. Then, I told my mentee to think about an imaginary book, “The People Leader Book”, every day we learn something from our people, every day we need to stretch our abilities, explore new tools and skills, and build a new chapter in our People Leader Book with all these experiences, which will serve as a collection of knowledge that will be in our mind every time we interact with new individuals, making us stronger leaders. After a while, this mentee came back and said he was already in chapter one hundred of his book and felt much better prepared to be a people leader, but still progressing. I am, maybe, in my ten thousand chapters, and I am still progressing, as I said, people are unique, so we have plenty of opportunities to continue growing. by Erika Molina

Leadership

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Transformational Agent

What is the mission of a transformational agent? It’s common to confuse a transformational agent with a “wrecking ball”, but that misunderstanding can be a serious problem. A true transformational agent drives innovation and creativity. They’re wise enough to recognize great ideas—wherever they come from—and help the organization evolve with the right sense of urgency. This person is an attentive listener, a keen observer, and highly skilled at engaging others in the solution. They challenge the status quo, shake up the organization, and help build new processes and culture, while keeping people motivated and aligned. The result? Meaningful, lasting improvements Then, before acting, THINK: Are you a Wrecking Ball or a Transformational Agent?

Leadership

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Building credibility as a people manager with confidence

As a people manager, you are in the spotlight 100% of the time, and the team members are closely watching, and you need to be consistent with your behavior. Then, make sure you “walk the talk” and do not say things you do not intend to execute or act on. Also, be respectful and transparent. And I have a simple rule for that: In this way, being consistent in these behaviors, you will start to build credibility with your team, daily, one step each time. A trustful relationship is all your employees want and need from their leaders, they will respect you more for that, and be more engaged when you ask for action.

Leadership

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