Archived Looking into leadership, any advice?

[2Spooky4U]

So today I talked to my VML and she thinks I would do well as a leader, more specifically softlines. I've also mentioned the idea of it to our SBTL, who agrees on the matter. As much as I would like the idea of driving my store and maybe striving towards progress, I am not a natural born leader. I'm pretty introverted and docile, and very empathetic.

Still, I'd like to develop and mold myself towards a good leader. Do any of you, leadership, specialists, or even just team members have any advice? What do you want to see in a leader? How can I encourage myself and my fellow redshirts to succeed? What painkillers should I invest in? Over the counter or prescription?

 

[commiecorvus]

Are you a chess player?
Hear me out, I promise it will make sense.
A good leader can think at least five moves ahead of everyone else.
You know where all your pieces are on the board at any given time and what they are doing.
You can make decisions on the fly if need be but always keep an eye on the long game.
No matter what kind of mind games the opposition wants to use, you stay focused.
Always back up your small pieces, you never know when you might need them later.

 

[Coqui]

So today I talked to my VML and she thinks I would do well as a leader, more specifically softlines. I've also mentioned the idea of it to our SBTL, who agrees on the matter. As much as I would like the idea of driving my store and maybe striving towards progress, I am not a natural born leader. I'm pretty introverted and docile, and very empathetic.

Still, I'd like to develop and mold myself towards a good leader. Do any of you, leadership, specialists, or even just team members have any advice? What do you want to see in a leader? How can I encourage myself and my fellow redshirts to succeed? What painkillers should I invest in? Over the counter or prescription?

Empathy is a very important quality for a leader so don't worry about that, I'm an introvert and very empathetic but that shouldn't stop you. You will be able to relate well with your team but I struggled with laying down the law in my first few months as a TL for fear of hurting their feelings but eventually you learn that you need to do your job ad sometimes that requires you letting someone know that they need to step up their game.

 

[Yetive]

Being an introvert isn't substantially different for a leader than for a tm. There are definitely days that you will go home exhausted, wishing you had a sensory deprivation tank in the living room . Given that you work retail, I'm guessing that you have these days on occasion already.
And yes, empathy is a great quality for a leader. It allows you to better tailor your message to individual tms. You will come from a place of understanding instead of being a top down type of leader.
You may struggle with some of the strategic thinking described by Commiecorvus, but it is a skill that can be developed.
If you aren't already a trainer, you might like to start there.
2 traits I like to see in a leader are consistency and taking the time to explain the why behind things.

 

[theanimal]

I am an introvert as well and as far as empathy I can relate to my team on certain days, weather if they are just tired and need a coffee (i'll buy it) or if they just have outside issues they want to talk about. I agree with @commiecorvus about the chess thing, when I was an electronics TM I always had to think ahead and have a plan in place and since my ETL at the time always relied on me to make sure things ran smoothly. I would say start by talking to your leaders, ask for feedback on your performance see where they see you can improve and see where you are excelling. Ask for a little bit more to do, take ownership in something and show your leadership in it. Depending on your position seek what the opportunities are in your area and try to plan and resolve and gain results from your efforts to show to your leaders.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Always ask questions for starters & be stellar. Be the go to person.

 

[2Spooky4U]

Thank you so much, guys. This has been really helpful and encouraging, as usual. Right now I'm just trying to break out of my shell and become more effortlessly sociable, as well as improving my strategic thinking and being more quick-witted in general. Still willing to take any and all advice that is relevant, but overall I just really appreciate the advice and support. Sounds corny, I know, but this has been a great help.