Leadership is often defined as an innate quality: something that people are just born with.

I, for one, think that leadership can emerge from anyone with a yearning to succeed. When we see the budding possibilities in our colleagues and signs of potential in our staff and coworkers, those behaviors need to be nurtured and acknowledged as desirable facets of a strong employee. Companies that don’t do this, or neglect to put success-tracks within their infrastructure, lose out on fostering the next great leader in our society.

I come from a long line of leadership roles.

When I found myself at 1E, something that became important to me very quickly was helping our customers find those leading qualities within their own businesses. Sourcing the champions within an organization helps keep the company going, through all aspects of development.
I believe in bringing great minds together to complete a task. Yet, I also think individual talent plays a large role in overcoming challenges an organization faces every day. So how does a senior-level person find the balance between community and individuality?
The answers come down to creating an environment that allows expression. Communicating to others effectively. Leaving room for trial and error, and, enacting a little humility. I read a quote about leadership once that said,

“There’s a difference between a leader and a boss. While both are in charge, a leader shares the spotlight and is comfortable crediting others. While it might seem counterintuitive, being humble takes more confidence than basking in glory. Your employees will appreciate it, and your clients will, too.”

Another aspect is encouraging diversity.

Not just diversity in men and women- but diversity in personal qualities. As International Women’s Day quickly approaches this Friday, March 8th, the importance of recognizing women in the workplace has never been more relevant. If everyone in your organization is identical, there won’t be any room to grow! Men and women, alike. Being a confident leader means your team will be successful, because of the differences, not despite them.
I hope you’ll join me this Friday at 12pm EST for a live-stream event on our 1E Twitter channel. I will be talking about my journey in the tech industry and will be taking questions about being a woman in a leadership role.