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You're Never Too Young To Be A Leader: Here's How https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/03/02/youre-never-...

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Jacquelyn Smith Forbes Staff

If it has to do with leadership, jobs, or careers, I'm on it.

LEADERSHIP 3/02/2012 @ 4:58PM 28 862 views

You're Never Too Young To Be A


Leader: Here's How
Most see photos
people
near the
starts of
their
careers
arent
typically
thought
Click for full photo gallery: 10 Steps You Can Take To
of as Become A Successful Young Leader At Work
leaders
in the
workplace. Not only do they inhabit a low spot in
the office hierarchy and lack experience and skills,
but also many are too timid and insecure to
assume a leadership role. But with the right
attitude, an observant eye and a desire to learn,
any young professionals can prevail early on.

The first hurdle to overcome is getting your


colleagues to see you as more than a fresh-faced,
immature college grad. Instead, demonstrate that
youre capable of leading without stepping on any
toes. Once you do that, there are many more
things you can do to become a successful leader in
the early stages of your career.

Career experts and authors Al Coleman, Jr.,


Alexandra Levit, Ryan Kohnen, and Dr. Katharine
Brooks weigh in on why senior employees dont
often regard their young colleagues as
pathbreaking workers and how those newbies can
emerge as leaders.

In Pictures: 10 Steps You Can Take To


Become A Successful Young Leader At
Work

Most people view a leader as someone who can


direct, guide or facilitate because of previously
successful experiences, says Al Coleman, Jr.,
author of Secrets to Success: The Definitive
Career Development Guide for New and First
Generation Professionals. Since most young or
new professionals havent successfully managed
others in the workplace before, they arent always
taken seriously that way.

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You're Never Too Young To Be A Leader: Here's How https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/03/02/youre-never-...

Ryan Kohnen, the author of Young Professionals


Guide to Success, points out another challenge:
Young professionals can definitely be perceived
negatively by their more seasoned counterparts
[because] the culture we grew up in of video
games, internet, iPods, and Twitter has
contributed to shorter attention spans and
extreme multitasking, which is sometimes a
positive and sometimes a negative, and this can be
perceived as unreliability or irresponsibility.

Alexandra Levit, the author of Blind Spots: The 10


Business Myths You Cant Afford to Believe on
Your New Path to Success, offers an additional
thought: I think older colleagues are wary of
young professionals [as] a result of many years of
new college grads coming into a workplace and
trying to take over right away. Todays young
professionals have been humbled by the recession
and come across less entitled and more eager to
learn, but negative perceptions still linger.

Assuming a leadership role without crossing any


lines can be a trying task, but if as a young
employee you get the lay of the land before you
jump in, you can better understand whats
acceptable at your particular organization, says
Dr. Katharine Brooks, director of Liberal Arts
Career Services at The University of Texas at
Austin and author of You Majored in What?
Mapping Your Path from Chaos to Career.

Kohnen agrees: The young professional is the


new employee, going into an organization where
people have a lot more experience and seniority in
the organization, he says. Its their
responsibility to get to learn how things work in
an organization and learn about the existing
employees. Then theyll find themselves in a much
better situation than the traditional Look at me,
Im here! Lesson learned: Get familiar with the
culture of your new workplace to avoid rubbing
your colleagues the wrong way.

In Pictures: 10 Steps You Can Take To


Become A Successful Young Leader At
Work

While you dont want to come off too strong,


flaunt your ego, or step on any toesyou
shouldnt withhold or be too hesitant, either.

Those who are hesitant understandably feel that


they dont yet know enough to take on a
leadership role and would rather take a few years
to absorb the expertise of those around them,
Levit says.

Kohnen agrees. He says young professionals are


often cautious because they dont exactly know

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You're Never Too Young To Be A Leader: Here's How https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/03/02/youre-never-...

what a true leader is, or they are unaware of how


best to take on a leadership role in the workplace.

Kohnen and Brooks both say you have to define


leadership within the context of your specific field
or organization. It doesnt mean just taking over,
or jumping in with solutions to every problem that
is brought up, Brooks says. That can quickly
result in your ideas being dismissed as already
tried; didnt work. Many student leaders worked
with clubs or organizations where the student
members didnt always follow through, and as a
result some of those leaders assume that leading
means you take charge and run the show
yourself. That style of leadership probably wont
work in most new work settingsunless thats
what the new employee is instructed to do.

Rather, leadership that is more aligned with being


an active part of the team, communicating and
respecting others opinions, listening, recognizing
opportunities to help out and do the necessary
workeven if its less-than-glamorousand
offering to take initiative to get things done are
more appropriate ways to lead in the beginning,
Brooks adds.

Coleman says studies have shown that leaders in


the workplaceregardless of ageenjoy lower
levels of unemployment, higher salaries and more
opportunities for advancement in their
organizations. All of this leads to a generally
happier and more engaged employee, he says. So
you might as well assume a leadership role early
on.

Here are 10 steps you can take to become a


successful young leader in the workplace:

1. Start preparing before you enter the


workforce

Volunteer in social or nonprofit organizations or


clubs where you can develop or hone your
leadership skills, Coleman says. Start with groups
such as your church, synagogue, chamber of
commerce, or a neighborhood or alumni
association. These groups are full of opportunities
to lead at the board, subcommittee, special
projects or events level.

Do this while youre still in college or before you


enter the workforce. If students have cultivated
their leadership skills while in college or worked
in the field previously through internships or
other experiences, they have more confidence
generally in their ability to handle situations,
Brooks adds.

2. Do your homework

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You're Never Too Young To Be A Leader: Here's How https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/03/02/youre-never-...

While most of what youll need to be a good leader


youll learn through practical experience and
observation, you cant go wrong reading books or
taking professional development courses on
organizational leadership, Coleman says. There
are numerous resources out there for free or low
cost that will help you to gain the tools and skills
to begin practicing effective leadership in the
workplace.

3. Take time to assess the culture of the


organization

Listen and observe how staff treats new


workersand learn what their expectations are,
Brooks says. If youre not sure, ask. Its
appropriate to ask your new supervisor what his
or her expectations are about your work. Note
your supervisors style. Is she more casual or
formal? Does he want details and daily reports? Is
she only interested in periodic feedback? Learn
and adapt, Brooks adds.

Kohnen agrees. Soak it up! he says. Learn


about your teammates; learn their
responsibilities, roles, professional goals, and
business philosophies. Be a sponge.

4. Keep a learners mind

Always be curious and eager to absorb new


information. Try not to judge situations too
quickly or make quick assumptions that may not
be accurate, Brooks says. Its okay to be a little
overwhelmed at first. Just do the best you can
and ask for help when you need it.

5. Identify areas where you can provide


new insight or help.

A young new worker might be savvier with social


media than the older staff, Brooks says. If so, that
would be a place to offer suggestions or ideas.

Levit says you should act as a change agent,


aiming to fix something thats broken with your
unique perspective and skills.

Meanwhile, Kohnen suggests challenging the


norm. Look at problem areas on your team or
company. Sometimes there are norms in
organizations or teams that havent been
challenged or where people havent looked for a
better way of doing things for a long time. Usually
theres something that people complain about.

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You're Never Too Young To Be A Leader: Here's How https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/03/02/youre-never-...

That is a great opportunity to come up with a new


solution or idea for a new way to do things.

6. Offer your help

If as a new worker you start with an Im here to


help attitude, it can help you move into a
leadership role more quickly and smoothly. Look
for ways to serve even if youre not asked to do
so, Brooks suggests.

Volunteer for stretch assignments or committees


that will allow you to acquire leadership and
management skills before you officially lead a
team or a group, Levit adds.

There are countless opportunities during


meetings where someone is needed to lead a
project or a specific section of a project, Coleman
says. Step up and volunteer to take it on. If its
too large or something that you have little to no
experience with, you can offer to partner with a
more established leader to gain the skills and
knowledge to lead on your own the next time
around.

7. Do your work and abide by the rules

Some young professionals get so wrapped up in


everything else that they fail to execute their basic
required tasks. If youre given a deadline, respect
it, Brooks says. Try to turn in the item early if
possible. Dont ask for extensions. Find a way to
get it done. Its also important to remember that
your first few work assignments will likely not be
glamorousbut its imperative that you do a good
job. If you dont do the basic tasks well, no one
will trust you with more complex tasks.

Also pay attention to the rules and policies of the


office, both written and unwritten. Show up early
and stay late. Dont be the last one in and the first
to leave, Brooks adds.

8. Communicate and connect

Take the time to meet your co-workers and get to


know them as people, not just co-workers. This
will take a little time, so dont be in a hurry,
Brooks says.

You should also communicate assertively and


broadcast your results in order to get your value
proposition across, Levit adds.

9. Give credit where credit is due

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You're Never Too Young To Be A Leader: Here's How https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/03/02/youre-never-...

Ask advice when you need it, but also try to


complete your work as independently as
possible, Brooks says. If you complete a project
and are complimented on it, and someone has
helped you, mention that.

10. Establish relationships with superiors


and find a mentor

Youll want to create mutually beneficial


relationships with senior managers, mentors, and
colleagues, and emulate their successful behavior
and approaches, Levit says.

Find a mentor whos successfully viewed as a


leader within the organization and ask for
opportunities to shadow that individual or work
on a project with the individual to see firsthand
how they successfully lead projects or groups,
Coleman says.

In Pictures: 10 Steps You Can Take To


Become A Successful Young Leader At
Work

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