I got the chance to participate as a guest speaker at ‘MEC University’s Leading and Managing Teams Training’ (try saying that 5 times after a bit of festive-season-tipple).  It’s a 2-day program designed to help develop leadership styles for Managers and Directors within our company. 

I was standing there addressing the 18 participants from different teams and disciplines (again, congratulations to each of you on this chapter of your career) and it dawned on me that I never had this kind of program as I was coming through the ranks. What a difference it would have made. No one really prepares you for leadership, and yet it’s one of the most important skills required for career development.  It’s also key to how we grow business both new and existing here at MEC. But all too often, companies identify people as potential leaders and then give them the responsibilities without creating an environment that prepares them for the change.  And oh what a change!  You not only take on the responsibility of setting the right example according to the company’s values, you’re tasked with developing a team, managing talent, setting expectations, making decisions that can catapult you from “one of the guys” to “THAT guy” (aka Norman No-Mates), and while you’re expected to share the successes amongst the team, quite often, you’re the one held accountable, should anything go awry.  So as I looked at the participants in the room and to our colleagues in HR who designed and implemented the program, a few things came to mind.  Whether it’s applicable to you now, or sometime in the near future, I thought I’d share:

Effective leadership is developed vs natural.  And it’s hard work.  But thanks to programmes like the one we have here, we’re able to demonstrate our commitment to developing strong leaders within our company by providing the environment and the tools necessary to ready them for this important step-change in their career.

You need to be the leader you wished you had.  Everyone can pinpoint a situation in their career when things might have gone slightly off track.  In those situations, think about the kind of leader you needed to get you refocused,  re-energized, forward moving.  Those are the traits you want to convey.

Patsy, once said on ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ that “you can never have too many hats, gloves or shoes…”.  Whilst this might be true, I would add on to that “mentors”.  And if you don’t have one, get one.  Just because you’re a leader doesn’t mean the learning phase is done.  You need coaching and support.  Regardless of your level.  Because if the business landscape has changed, and continues to change, one leadership style is not enough.  You need to be able to adapt, and grow in order to be effective. 

And on that note, my mentor reminds me constantly, “in business, there is nothing more rewarding, more fulfilling, more worthy of your time than the continued development and management of people”.

Pele Cortizo-Burgess

(Pele is Global Director of Integrated Planning and based in MEC's New York office)