“This is Sarah, and it doesn’t matter what questions you have, Sarah will be able to answer them!”. Both Sarah and I were delivering a ‘money awareness’ workshop in Glenrothes, north of Edinburgh, in Scotland, for a care and support organisation which supports people with a learning disability. Sarah’s presentation on state benefits is the most complex of our training and we were delivering workshop to experienced managers.
It was a tongue-in-cheek moment when I put Sarah on the spot with my introduction, but I was super confident she would deliver – and she did.
The previous week, Sarah had kindly offered to help me with the workshop in Scotland despite living a considerable distance away in England. I must admit it was both a relief and reassurance that I could count on her support.
I knew for certain that Sarah would turn up.
Sarah Bolger Financial Advocate delivering training for www.dosh.org
I assess potential leaders on:
Attitude – A can do attitude. People who get stuff done and get results.
- Commitment – dedicated to the work you do and committed to those around you.
- Vision – a vision of what success looks like what is it that they want to accomplish.
- Inspirational – they capture people’s imaginations.
- Caring about others – ‘It is about others before you. Related: The first leadership lesson I learned – It is about others before you – Leadership in the Raw
- They Turn Up
You can be super talented, have the most experience, knowledge, and skills but if you do not turn up then all those attributes do not mean a thing.
So, what does ‘turning up’ mean?
- Being on time, every day, unless there is an important reason we cannot (such as sickness.) Physically turning up is the most important aspect.
- Turning up Mentally – turning up mentally means that you are ‘switched on’.
- Turning up even when you really do not feel like it.
- You are ready to hit the ground running. You are not waiting for someone to tell you what to do.
- That they can rely on you – you are dependable.
- They are in ‘safe’ hands – they can trust you.
- You do the necessary planning and preparation before you turn up. It does not take much experience for a team to recognise a leader who does not know what they are doing due to a lack of preparation.
As I come towards the end of this career and start my semi-retirement (hopefully finding part-time employment), I reflect on what has given me a competitive edge since entering the world of work over 50 years ago and what I can offer a new employer. There is something I can guarantee: “I promise I will turn up and I will not let you down.”
Steve Raw www.leadershipintheraw.org
Leadership in the Raw 