Activate Your Leadership POWER – The Personal Mentor for Young Leaders: How to Lead Your Team Confidently, Purposefully & Competently to Long-Term Success – Including Workbook & Practical Exercises E-Book

Maximilian Clemens

• Herausgeber: ONIX Media
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 229

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Your career is going great, and the next step up the ladder is within reach? Does that include finally taking on a leadership role? But now you're wondering how you're supposed to manage that like a seasoned pro, even at a young age? Then this guide is exactly what you need – discover how to build your own personal leadership style step by step! There are plenty of new responsibilities, older colleagues might look at you with skepticism, and the entire culture of leadership has changed significantly in recent years. If you're taking on a leadership role as a young professional, some challenges are inevitable. But don't worry – modern leadership is absolutely learnable, and this book shows you how to master it with ease. First, familiarize yourself with the basics of your new role and find out what really matters – from authenticity, confidence, and motivation to conflict management, communication, mentoring, and more. Then, dive deeper into each leadership topic, understand the specific challenges young leaders face, and improve your own leadership skills with numerous exercises, reflection tasks, and practical advice. Feel like you're being thrown in at the deep end? Don't worry! This book is the ideal companion for young talents and provides a clear, practical, and easy-to-follow path to becoming a capable and authentic leader.

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Edition 2024

Contents

Foreword1

Discover your leadership POWER!2

Find your leadership!3

Practice makes perfect7

...and this is how you start your journey7

The special features of young managers9

Challenges and opportunities for young managers13

Dealing with age differences and respect as a young manager18

Convince with authenticity and self-confidence as a young manager29

The basics of leadership39

Understanding the role of a manager39

Recognizing your own strengths and weaknesses as a manager49

Authenticity and leadership: the foundation of successful leadership53

Develop leadership skills63

Communication: the key competence for leadership success64

Conflict management: dealing with challenges in the leadership role70

Decision-making: The art of making smart decisions74

The manager as motivator77

Inspire and motivate employees77

Promoting team spirit and cooperation80

Recognition and appreciation: the key to employee retention81

Effective time management for managers82

Set priorities and recognize time thieves82

Delegating: The art of handing over responsibility85

Work-life balance: Protecting your own energy and health as a manager90

Dealing with challenges93

Dealing with stress and pressure in a leadership role93

Using criticism and feedback constructively97

Managing change and uncertainty in leadership99

Mentoring and networking for young managers100

The importance of mentoring in personal development100

Building and using a strong network103

Maintain mentoring relationships and benefit from them in the long term109

Activate the power of leadership - practical exercises and workbook111

Individual skills111

Reflection questions about your own leadership128

Advanced Skills: Systemic questioning techniques130

Create objectives and individual development plans135

Practical exercises for transferring what you have learned into everyday management practice148

Use your potential!151

Foreword

Are you interested in a management position or have you just been offered one? Congratulations! You are facing a new, exciting challenge in your life. A challenge that can give you a lot of meaning. You are certainly highly motivated and looking forward to this new time. However, when you take over the reins for the first time, you are sure to have a lot of questions. How do I lead a team properly? What special skills do I need to have? How do I keep my employees motivated? How much control is appropriate and how much trust should I place in them? Many questions revolve around how to manage a team or even an entire company. At first, the abundance of questions can be quite overwhelming. But don't despair. By holding this book in your hands, you have already taken an important step.

In the following chapters, you will learn all about what makes a good leader. You will receive a comprehensive introduction to the topic. You will then find several chapters on the most important areas. These include the topics of motivation and communication. You will also learn about your work-life balance. There is a practical section at the end of the book. There are also small exercises and tips throughout the theoretical section. In the practical section at the end of this book, you will also find the most important exercises on specific topics. You can do these exercises at home. This will prepare you well for the practical part. Remember that it can be a long journey. You will continue to develop throughout your life. This also applies to your leadership skills. But with every small step, every exercise and every experience, you will learn and grow. So don't let yourself be held back any longer and get straight into the subject.

Discover your leadership POWER!

The topic of leadership can be very extensive and somewhat overwhelming for new leaders at first. After all, the position comes with a lot of responsibility. But don't worry: with a little understanding of the importance of the role at all levels, you'll be able to get the most out of your leadership position. This first chapter will give you an introduction to the topic.

What makes a manager?

What role does the management of a company play in its success?

How will this book help you to perform your role to the best of your ability?

These and many other questions will be answered below so that you can delve deeper into the topic after this introduction. With this in mind: Good luck!

Find your leadership!

The term leadership comes from the English language and means leadership role. The leadership role is crucial to the success of a company. A good leader can help motivate employees, develop and retain good workers, increase productivity and improve the company's reputation with customers and potential new employees. Of course, a number of factors play an important role in the overall success of a company. For example, the business sector should not be underestimated. Even a company with great leadership will struggle if the country is going through a general social crisis or upheaval. However, good management can fully exploit the existing potential of a company, especially in such times. This makes it easier to survive future times of crisis. Above all, however, it significantly increases success in the present. In addition, the right marketing, the social mood, the political situation and the usefulness of a company's products and services also play an important role in its success.

The role of a manager is very extensive. Basically, it encompasses everything that is necessary to ensure the day-to-day running of the company and to organize it in the best possible way. At first glance, it appears that a manager is primarily responsible for delegating tasks to others and making decisions. However, many other factors are also in their hands. These include numerous entrepreneurial success factors. The most important of these include

Setting clear goals

Creating well-organized and helpful structures

Creating space for innovation, freedom and ideas

Motivation and promotion of employees

Crisis management

Those who are confident in their role as a manager have a decisive advantage in the world of work. Managers often have to make decisions that are short-term or uncomfortable. This means they have to stand behind them confidently. If you can do this, you will find it much easier not only to enforce your decisions, but also to be respected and accepted by your employees. A confident leadership role can have a positive impact on the corporate culture. If you can assert yourself within this framework, it will be easier for you to retain employees in the long term. Your own career path will also be much more pleasant. If you can prove yourself in small teams, for example, you will be given the opportunity to lead larger groups more quickly.

Motivating and retaining employees is another important factor. Motivated employees are proven to work better and more productively. Studies show that one of the main reasons employees leave a company is the manager. A bad manager can cause chaos. Employees can also quickly feel demotivated by an unpleasant management style. Good employees don't just want to be delegated tasks. They are looking for a certain amount of freedom and space for creative ideas. As a rule, they want a certain degree of flexibility. At the same time, in many cases there must also be clear structures, goals and order. Only then can everyone pull together and create a system that makes the daily routine as routine and simple as possible. In your leadership role, you can support and promote all of this.

Leadership is one of the main factors for employee retention. If employees feel seen and supported, they are more inclined to stay with a company in the long term. After all, they have plenty of scope for development on site and enjoy a satisfying work culture. If they do not find all this, they are much more inclined to change companies. A company that constantly experiences employee turnover will also be less successful in the long term. Not only do good employees leave the company, which means that an important factor in the company's success is missing - it also costs a lot of resources to train new employees. After all, induction training always involves a lot of time and effort. In addition, word of a bad reputation spreads quickly within the industry. This makes it increasingly difficult in the long term to find good and reliable employees who apply for open positions in the first place.

A company manager can do a lot to strengthen employee loyalty. For example, one of the tasks of company management is to create sufficient space for flexibility and creative ideas. There should also always be room for feedback. However, it is also important to deploy employees in a targeted manner so that their strengths are used in the best possible way. On the one hand, this ensures that work is completed in the best possible way and, on the other, that employees feel that their individual skills are seen and heard. This is just one of many examples that you will learn about later in the book. However, it illustrates that company management is not only responsible for employee retention, but also for saving resources within the company. If employees are deployed in such a way that their strengths are brought to bear in the best possible way, this makes work easier and saves a lot of time and money.

It is often not easy for young managers to establish themselves in an experienced team. To help you get off to a good start, here are a few tips on how to prove yourself in an experienced team.

Give yourself time.

Change takes time. This is especially true when you meet a team that has been working in the same company or industry for years. It's all too understandable that you're eager to make numerous changes. You have motivation and lots of ideas. You also see yourself in a position to bring a breath of fresh air into the company. However, remember that having a new team leader can be a big change for the team. This is especially true if they have been working with the same team leader for years. Especially if the new leader is much younger, the team may struggle with change. If you try to turn everything upside down straight away, you are likely to make yourself unpopular. So first try to get to know the team personally. Take a look at the work processes and see where there is room for change from a new perspective. So far, you have only been able to see this from the outside. So take the opportunity to get to know the processes, structures and team members from the inside.

Try to get to know your team seriously

. Take an interest in all team members. Organize one-on-one meetings, for example. This will allow you to get to know each team member well and understand their wishes and suggestions. You can recognize who has which strengths and weaknesses and who is more open to change and who is not. This will enable you to adapt to the needs of your team in the long term or to communicate changes to them in a way that is better accepted by them. Such conversations also build trust. If the team members recognize that you are genuinely interested in them, they will also be more sympathetic towards you. Ask them specific questions. You can also find out a lot through group discussions or so-called kitchen conversations. For example, if your company has a small coffee or tea corner where employees get together and chat, you can find out a lot of valuable information here. What is the general mood in the team? What issues are employees concerned about? What makes colleagues feel insecure? What are they annoyed about or who is annoyed about whom? With this information, you can get to know your team members better. Your presence also often helps the team members to get used to you. Of course, this doesn't mean that you should be around them all the time, but a little interest and presence always pays off.

Don't shy away from respectfully recognizing achievements.

Praise your team members. Many members will worry that their previous accomplishments are not yet seen. They have probably worked for years to gain a good reputation and recognition. With a new team leader, they may fear having to start from scratch. Therefore, it can be very helpful to show your team members that you have an eye for their past accomplishments. Take a close look at previous performances. Don't be sparing with praise when it's appropriate. If your team members feel valued, they will also show you more respect.

Say goodbye to Mr. Smarty-Pants.

You certainly have a lot of great ideas that can contribute to the success of a company. No one will deny that. However, you should be careful not to behave like a smart-aleck know-it-all if you want to gain respect from your team. Even if you are now in charge, that doesn't mean that everything has to be done purely according to your will from now on. Instead, take on board the experience of the other employees. If you have employees who have been with the company or in the industry for years, they can give you lots of helpful tips. Of course, many things may have changed over time, but it doesn't hurt to ask for advice from time to time. Some tips are timeless. It also helps to get an eye for change. You actively promote the exchange of experience and treat your employees as equals.

Use your expertise.

If you want to establish yourself, you should do this above all by acting competently. Of course, sympathy is nice. However, you shouldn't chum up personally in order to gain respect. A good team leader can radiate competence. Sometimes it can be a difficult balancing act to show your skills and at the same time appear modest. After all, you don't want to come across as arrogant. However, that doesn't mean you should completely hide your expertise. Quite the opposite. Where you are confident and have a lot of experience or ideas, you should talk about them calmly. Work on a confident appearance. The more competent you are, the more confident your team will feel with you.

Don't be put off with slogans.

If employees are not open to change, they may respond to you with phrases such as "We've always done it this way" or "We tried that years ago and it didn't work". However, this is not particularly successful communication and reasoning. Just because something didn't work in the past doesn't mean that it won't work now. Even if a process has always been done in the same way, it doesn't mean that this is the best and only way. Express your opinion confidently, but without being aggressive. This alone can earn you a lot of points. Your team may need a little more motivation. It's also possible that an idea didn't work before because the right technology wasn't available yet. As a first step, ask them to explain why an idea failed in the past and then try to explain why it could work differently this time. Always remain calm, objective and respectful, even if you are met with unpleasant comments. This will show that you are confident and competent.

Leadership is a comprehensive role, but those who understand it properly will be able to take not only their own success, but that of the entire company, to a new level.

Practice makes perfect

This guide is primarily intended for young managers to learn how to manage a company safely. This book is a guide for anyone who is new to a management position or will be taking on this role in the near future. You will receive support for personal and professional development within the leadership role. As part of this, you will receive specific tips and exercises to activate your own leadership POWER. You will not only learn in theory, but will also be able to test directly with practical exercises how you can best develop yourself and how you affect others. The saying "practice makes perfect" is no coincidence. The best way to learn how to develop in a management position is through practice. Theory can only give you a certain amount of orientation. Only when you actually put into practice what you have learned in theory will you actively develop further. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to encourage you to carry out the exercises regularly.

...and this is how you start your journey

In this guide, you will receive a detailed introduction to the topic of leadership. You will be given lots of advice and tips to help you perform your management role effectively.

The book begins with a comprehensive guide to the most important leadership skills. You will learn to understand what makes a good leader and what makes a young leader special. This will help you recognize which particular situations you are likely to face, how best to prepare for them and how to resolve them.

Later on in the guide, you will be confronted with the specific details of a leadership role. These include, for example, motivating employees and mastering challenges. This will prepare you extensively for even the most difficult moments in a leadership role. As previously mentioned, crisis management is one of the most important tasks of any manager. It is therefore important to learn how to deal with difficult situations in a healthy and calm manner.

Following the main chapters, you will find a workbook with numerous practical exercises. This allows you to put what you have learned into practice straight away. The practice will help you to get the most out of your position. It is recommended that you do not wait until the very end to do the exercises, as many of the exercises are related to the content you have already learned in the theoretical part. It is particularly helpful to incorporate the exercises at the same time. In this way, you immediately establish a mental link between theory and practice. You can immediately put the new information into practice and process it better. We would therefore like to encourage you not to see the workbook as a kind of appendix, but rather as an accompaniment and consolidation of the active learning process. If you are already in a management position, use the exercises directly at work. This is the best way to see how successful the tips can be. Nowhere are the training methods better used than where they are actually needed. So dare to implement them directly in your own working environment. You will see: With a little self-confidence and the right amount of ambition, you will quickly succeed in familiarizing yourself with the leadership role. However, don't put yourself under pressure: small steps are important and can be celebrated at any time. Big changes don't happen overnight. They are the sum of many small successes and take time.

The special features of young managers

A young manager faces unique challenges, but also opportunities. In this chapter, we explore the specific difficulties and opportunities of a young manager. This includes, for example, the special way of dealing with age differences. This can go hand in hand with gaining respect, for example, but also with the special potential of youth. Most difficulties also offer a special opportunity on the flip side. It is therefore important to always familiarize yourself with both sides. You will discover ways in which you can shape your leadership with authenticity and plenty of self-confidence. In this way, you will learn to be convincing as a leader, even at a young age.

Many young managers start their job full of drive and motivation. For some, however, there is also a dose of uncertainty. After all, expectations are high. There are a number of mistakes that are repeated by many young managers. The most common mistakes are presented here. Use them as preparation for the next chapters to help you understand which behaviors to avoid.

Copying the predecessor.

Your predecessor may have been a respectable leader. You may have looked up to him yourself. However, none of this means that you have to try to follow in your predecessor's footsteps one-to-one. Remember that you got the job for a reason and that it may be time for a breath of fresh air in the company. Trust in your own skills and try to remain authentic. Those who remain true to themselves generally have a better chance of establishing themselves on the market. If you try to copy your predecessor, it will usually have a negative effect. No matter how competent your predecessor was, it does not mean that he was the most popular leader. Conversely, it may well be that your predecessor was popular in the team but not particularly competent. Even if you worked with your predecessor yourself, you can never be sure what their inner life was like and whether they really led as confidently as they appeared to on the outside. Stay true to yourself and try to focus on your own leadership style.

Constantly going it alone.

People who have just taken on a management position often have the habit of tackling and taking on all tasks. After all, many young managers are still used to this from their time as a specialist. However, remember that delegating tasks is part of the management position. You are therefore allowed to distribute tasks. You should even distribute them in such a way that strengths and weaknesses are shown to their best advantage. Specialist tasks should always be taken on by those with sufficient specialist skills. Avoid constantly going it alone.

Lack of self-reflection.

Only those who can reflect on themselves sufficiently can be confident in a leadership position. If you don't have a good view of yourself, you will never be able to develop and change. As a manager, you should reflect on yourself. Ask yourself which managers you have dealt with in the past. How did they behave? What qualities did you particularly appreciate about them? Do you work according to this template yourself or do you behave completely differently as a manager? What values do you want to represent and do you really act according to these values? Only if you can ask and answer this question honestly can you establish yourself as a leader.

Lack of appreciation for older employees.

Many young managers are faced with the problem that they are not sufficiently respected by older employees. They often don't even realize that this is a problem that seems to exist on both sides. Many older employees also feel that they are not seen by young managers. This is often because young managers try to gain sufficient respect by asking for as little help as possible. They want to show that they are capable of leading the team on their own. Young managers are also often more open to ideas from young employees than from older employees. This is because they have learned similar values and ideas and are often more flexible. Younger employees are often more willing to contribute innovative ideas, try out new things and drive development. This can have a positive effect on young managers. At the same time, it should never be forgotten that older employees have a wealth of experience to draw on. This wealth of experience cannot be replaced. Success and development require both. Young managers should therefore make sure that they also show sufficient respect and appreciation to older employees. Then this will certainly be reflected back.

Shy away from conflict.

Conflicts arise always and everywhere. They cannot be avoided in interpersonal relationships. However, it is important to learn how to deal with conflicts confidently. Try not to avoid conflicts. Instead, face them with confidence.

Making hasty decisions

. Rash decisions and changes are rarely a good idea. True to the saying "Good things take time", you should always take your time. Try not to do anything in a hurry and always think through small decisions carefully. Give changes time and think one step at a time.

You will find further input on all the topics mentioned here in the course of the book. Establishing yourself as a young manager takes time. However, with the right tips and tricks, you will succeed. To get you started, here are a few additional tips for acceptance in the workplace:

Follow your own leadership style.

It can take a while to find your own leadership style. Give yourself time and rest. Once you have settled into the role, you will recognize which leadership style allows you to remain authentic. Don't let yourself be convinced that there is a best leadership style for everyone. The best style is the one you feel comfortable with and can stay true to your values.

Learn to delegate tasks.

This can be unfamiliar because, as already mentioned, many young managers are still used to helping out themselves. To a certain extent, this may even be useful. However, it is much more useful for the company as a whole if tasks are distributed according to strengths and weaknesses.

Make clear and considered decisions.

Approach every situation carefully. Once you have made a decision, communicate it directly and clearly. If your employees can see that you act decisively and are not deterred even in difficult situations, they will be much more willing to follow your ideas.

Give praise and criticism honestly

. Always remain respectful so that your employees feel valued. Dealing with people as equals can make a big difference.

Keep these valuable tips in mind. With this in mind, good luck with the next chapters.

Challenges and opportunities for young managers

The position of company management is always associated with particular difficulties, but also with particular opportunities. After all, the management has a lot of responsibility. At the same time, however, they also have a great deal of scope to make changes in the company. In addition to the everyday challenges of any manager, young managers are often confronted with very special difficulties. These include the following in particular:

Less experience

Plenty of age differences

More room for self-doubt

However, young people in management positions are also given special opportunities. These include in particular

Special degree of agility and adaptability

Special energy and enthusiasm for the work

Innovative input

Lack of experience at a young age