What is leadership identity and why does it matter?
When you move into a new leadership role, likelihood is, it will take a while to feel like the coat fits.
Perhaps you've experienced things like this:
You struggle to shake that imposter feeling
You try to prove yourself and jump in to fix things (even though you know waiting might be a better strategy)
You can't quite figure out how to get your voice heard or find your place at the table - especially if you're moving into an established team.
There's no question that the transitional phase can be tricky to navigate. And while you've got people and politics to work out, your internal identity will be taking a little time to catch up with the shift in external reality too (and possibly sabotaging you in the process).
But as a leader, you’re in the spotlight. So you know being intentional in how you show up, especially through times of transition, is smart.
This blog breaks down what makes up your leadership identity to help you understand where to focus your energy next. Intentionally defining your leadership identity will help you manage such transitions, helping you to get your voice heard so that you can influence on a new level.
What is leadership identity made up of?
I see leadership identity breaking down into three parts:
1) Your core identity – who you are and the value you bring as a leader.
This includes:
your sense of purpose
your values
your strengths and weaknesses
your style and personality.
This is the grounding one. An important place to start if you've never done identity work before. It's where you can return to for motivation, it's the birthplace of authentic leadership and the clarity you can find by working on this part of your identity will help you to build the confidence to lead as you.
2) Your inside story – the internal world that shapes how you think, feel and behave.
This includes:
your beliefs about yourself, leadership and the world
your emotional intelligence
your mindset
your habits.
This is the sneaky one. The place where your sub-conscious patterns and embedded beliefs can get the better of you, if you let them. But if you can harness it, you're pretty formidable.
3) Your influence – the impact you have on people’s perceptions, behaviours and performance.
This includes:
your goals
your message
your presence
your interactions.
This is the 'profile' one. The part that's focused on the reputation you want to build and the bit that will be much easier if you've worked on 1 and 2. So no, you can't skip to the end ;)
Inevitably, your identity will evolve. Some elements of who you are will shift over time - values are not static, for example. And that's a good thing.
Because taking stock on who you are now and who you want to be will help you to land, plan and grow well.
If you want to work on your leadership identity, I've got a FREE Leadership Identity Audit to help.
In under three minutes, I can show you the blind spots that are holding you back from your next-level of influence and impact immediately.
Get started here.