It's a very interesting question to me. Young professionals often come out of school believing that they are hot stuff - having been told so by the school that just graduated them. And then they come into the so-called "real world" and are told they are nothing - just barely the bottom rung and they have to earn their stripes. It seems to me that this is just set up for disaster.

So there is a balance here between initiative on the part of the energetic young professional, and openness to new ideas on the part of the organization. A young professional needs someone who is already embedded in the organization who can be the mentor, the buffer, the champion, the whatever, for the Y.P., and can also be the safety net - to review when things didn't go according to plan, and to give not quite enough rope for the Y.P to hang him/herself.

The biggest obstacle I have seen is a Y.P who is very energetic and comes into an organization, teeming with new ideas. The Y.P is told "you don't understand how things work around here" and the only way to prove that they do, in fact, understand how things work, is to do things the way they have always been done. After a few beatings like that, the Y.P. has all the initiative, drive and new ideas drained out of them and then the organization has lost a valuable asset.

Then again, I am constantly mindful of Ben Zander's quote: "You can lead from any seat in the orchestra" and while I appreciate the principle, I wonder about the practical implementation... (And Zander himself, in his speaking engagements, jokes about how the orchestra is, in fact, the last bastion of totalitarianism...)

Great question - I look forward to the discussion!

posted March 17, 2008

You've always gotta' balance the big-fish-in-small-pond with the small-fish-in-big-pond. By balance, I mean you always have to have both. If you are a well-rounded person, you will be in circles where you're the leader--whether organizing volunteers for a scout troop, volunteer church leadership positions, substitute teaching, or coaxing clients to obey your advice. You will also have people you have to obey. But if you think you're selling out doing all one or the other, you won't develop the depth of skills necessary to take over one day.

posted March 17, 2008

I would say the most common obstacle is simply blending in with the crowd. Someone who wants to be a leader needs to show a willingness to learn, take some risks, and show leadership and teamwork skills.

A few ideas to overcome this obstacle:
Share with their supervisor their goals for their future at the company. Ask the supervisor what qualities will make them successful. Collaborate on a professional development plan.

Find a mentor in their profession outside of their organization.

Join a professional organization related to the position, or the position they hope to have in the next few years. Also consider networking groups, young professional groups, and other groups where they can gain more leadership skills and experiences.

Volunteer at a nonprofit organization where they may be able to get leadership experience quickly. Organizations looking for a variety of ideas and experiences will include a few young professionals on their board. Even without a lot of experience, new energy and ideas can go a long way.

posted March 17, 2008

One of the biggest obstacles I encountered over the years was the "we've always done it that way.." response to a question or "no one has told us what they want.." but that never stopped me from challenging the Status Quo nor did it stop me from asking a whole lot more questions and doing some research into "why" it was done that way. As an employee no matter how far down the 'ladder' I am I was also responsible for something ( I mean that's why they employee people) so what ever I was responsible for I would find ways to make more efficient in terms of productivity or cost saving even if it meant making myself redundant.

Best advise, if you’re starting out, do some research find out why it's done that way, then find ways to do it better and in the absence of a good mentor be prepared to take a risk and accept responsibility for a decision to achieve something for the greater good. Present your ideas in what ever way works, Presentation, memo, email, or just a chat....corridor conversation are great for seeding ideas.

Training on effective and assertive communication will go a long way to help

There are other aspects to leadership in terms of people management, budgets etc etc...but I think these are the things I remember when starting out all those years ago that helped me a lot :)

Cheers

Richard

posted March 17, 2008

As a young professional, I've learned that the most important thing I can do to be valued in my organization is LISTEN - to what's being said as well as the undercurrents that aren't so obvious. Often, as Lisa mentioned earlier, we come out of college/grad school with so many ideas about the way things "should" be in the real world that we may be a bit naive in regards to reality. It's great to have new and fresh ideas, and that is where we contribute and have tremendous opportunity, but we can't undervalue the experience of the others around us. So, listening, and being able to accept and work with constructive (and sometimes negative) feedback is so important.

I heard a speaker once say that she grew as a leader by taking on those tasks that nobody else wanted - the hard tasks. This earned her respect and credibility, and also clout because people saw her as someone who was willing to take risks and work hard.

Also, seeking opportunities to lead and serve in other areas of life beyond your career is invaluable - volunteering, etc.

posted March 18, 2008

Hi Joseph,
The biggest obstacle are.... themselves - they allow (like it or not) their paradigms to get in the way of what they want.
How can they overcome this ? By truly believing that they have what it takes - i suggest experiential exercises that they can practice in their daily lives..
Sounds very simplistic yet true.
Thanks!
Jessy

posted March 18, 2008

I think the biggest obstacle for anyone (young or old) who is not in a "position of leadership" is an overly narrow definition of leadership. The only thing one needs to have to be a leader is . . . followers. So any type of influence a person wields, through suggestion, role-modeling, etc. is an opportunity for leadership.

Another way to exert leadership that is often overlooked is to be the "first follower." If you've ever been in a situation where you tossed out an idea and had it enthusiastically embraced and championed by someone else, you know what I mean. This is something that young professionals can do for each other in the workplace, as well--get on the bandwagon! Embrace change! Remarkable how infectious that can be.

posted March 18, 2008

The biggest obstacle to most young professionals is trying to lead too early.

Let's face it, good leaders need to be able to rely on oodles and oodles of experience. Pushing people into leadership without this is forcing them into a role they are ill prepared for. It's no fun, counter productive and you could easily do more damage than good here. Never set people up for failure with a "trust me" scenario.

In Scuba Diving, I stress to my students to dive within their training and experience. There is no need to take unnecessary risks in order to prove something. Rather, learn to ENJOY yourself where you are. Work on those basic skills, and at some point you will get the chance to extend a bit. Hopefully, this will be around a professional who can help to train you BEFORE you undergo a baptism of fire.

posted March 19, 2008

Hi Joseph,

True leadership is not related to and shouldn't wait for a position. It is more related to your character. Positional leadership is not as powerful and influencial as Character leadership. Look at Ghandi :)

Here are the top 5 characteristics of a leader that you can start practicing today:

1. Smart & Visionary
2. Trustworthy
3. Caring
4. Courageuos
5. Disciplined

Regards,
Tohami

Links:

• http://www.Success-Avalanche.com

posted March 18, 2008

Hi Joseph,

I have found many obstacles on my way so far, yet I managed to overcome most of them. I'm still not in a leadership position, so I must be doing something wrong though, right?

As a young professional known in the team for good performance and dedication to work I find that there is one major obstcle that will allways stand before me: fitting into the role you play now.

It's quite simple, if I'm doing great job where I am at the moment, why should they move me elswhere? No, they will keep me in a job they KNOW I'm good at, not go trough the hassle of having to replace me if they promote me, training me, worrying if I will do well on the new position.
And god forbid if I wouldn't be as great dealing with new tasks.

I haven't yet figured out how to overcome this one, but I will let you know if I manage to find a solution.

Cheers,
Justyna

posted March 19, 2008