Aspiring leaders or new managers don’t have to be in a leadership position to start building their leadership prowess. From leadership programs and informal mentorships to books and workshops, there are a variety of ways rising leaders can learn more about what it means to truly lead.
However, it can be challenging to transition from on-the-ground work to managing a team—or leading an organization. To help, 20 Forbes Business Council members offer advice on how rising leaders can better understand what it means to lead, as well as steps they should take now to develop their leadership skills.
1. Develop Your Executive Presence
Rather than waiting for a title, show up as the leader you know you are now. This transition isn’t about being in charge, but about focusing on taking care of the people in charge. Being a leader doesn’t mean you do more; it means you think differently. When people feel seen and connected to a bigger picture, that’s when real leadership starts. A leader is someone who influences and inspires. – Sharmylla Siew, Cobalt Funding Solutions
2. Define The ‘Why’
Great leadership starts with direction, so clearly define the goal and the “why.” But, it’s also what comes after that that sets leaders apart, as leaders should give people the autonomy to get there in their own way. When teams have clarity and ownership, they move faster, think deeper and feel part of something bigger. – Arunabh Dastidar, Leni
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3. Create Meaning
Supervisors manage tasks, while leaders create meaning. Focus less on control and more on purpose. People don’t follow instructions, but they do follow beliefs. If you can inspire others to care as much as you do, you won’t need to push them, as they’ll move with you. Leadership is not about having all the answers; it’s about creating clarity and conviction so others can act with confidence, even in uncertainty. – Christoph Knitter, Knitter & Associates GmbH
4. Own Your Outcomes
True leadership isn’t managing someone else’s system or blaming outside forces. It’s about ownership, innovation and an internal locus of control. Leaders take responsibility, learn from setbacks and use creativity to blaze new trails. Many confuse management and titles for leadership, but that’s not leadership. Leadership is about owning outcomes—all of them, whether good or bad. – Chris “Bulldog” Collins, chriscollinsinc.com
5. Be The Example
When you are supervising, you serve as a monitor. However, when you are leading, you serve as an example. Do your punctuality, attire, professionalism, problem-solving skills and work ethic reflect a good example? Once others start seeing you and subsequently following you as a leader, the fact that you won’t have to supervise as much is the real impact. Being the example will cause you not to be the monitor. – Edwrin Sutton, MEN AND WOMEN UNITED FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES INC
6. Embody Soft Skills
Leadership goes beyond supervision because it demands emotional intelligence, humility and empathy. While managing requires critical thinking and problem-solving, true leadership means listening deeply and ensuring your team feels heard, valued and understood. Never underestimate the power of emotional intelligence as a leader, as leading with empathy is a true sign of embodying it. – Maria Tedesco, Atlantic Union Bank
7. Get Comfortable Making Decisions
A rising leader must develop comfort with making decisions in uncertain situations while accepting responsibility for the results. Effective leadership requires courage to operate with integrity while communicating openly and making adjustments when necessary. – Tammy Sons, Tn Nursery
8. Embrace Communication
Rising leaders need to understand the value of communication. You hired your team because they’re the best at what they do. When they come to you with questions, concerns or recommendations, listen with a genuine ear. They may see a problem or opportunity you were unaware of. They’re also more likely to stay engaged when they feel valued and like they have something to contribute. – Nikolaus Kimla, Pipeliner CRM
9. Earn Trust
Leadership is about earning trust, not just managing tasks. Great leaders make people feel safe, seen and supported. When your team trusts you, they do their best work because they want to, not just because they have to. – Nitin Gupta, QRCodeChimp
10. Be A Guide
Being a leader means inspiring and motivating. It’s about guiding people toward solutions while creating a healthy environment in which team members shape their skills by learning from both failures and successes. If supervising is ensuring the success of day-to-day operations and making routine decisions, leading is ensuring the success of your people. – Chris Moore, FIRST
11. Lead With Purpose
Lead with purpose, not just process. Strong leadership inspires your team with a shared vision, allowing for bold decisions and driving meaningful change. In legal tech (and any industry), the best leaders empower others to innovate and grow, creating impact beyond day-to-day operations. – Daniel Farrar, Assembly Software
12. Be Actively Involved
One crucial piece of advice for a rising leader is to be involved in the processes and lives of your team members. This means actively engaging with your team, understanding their challenges and fostering an environment where they feel valued and empowered. Leadership is not merely about overseeing tasks; it involves inspiring and motivating individuals to achieve collective goals. – Veena Jetti, Vive Funds
13. Empower Team Members
Real leadership happens when you empower others. First, hire really good people, then get out of their way and help remove other obstacles from their path. Leadership is also about understanding the strengths of your team and positioning them to play to those strengths. It’s critical to allow folks to take risks, fail, learn from failure, and be accountable to each other. – Justin Schwartz, University of Colorado Boulder
14. Invest In Your Team’s Development
Great leaders don’t just manage—they elevate. Get to know your team and what drives them. Leadership is about understanding people, not just tasks. Emotional intelligence fuels trust, vision and inspiration. That’s how you turn skilled individuals into a thriving team, and how you help future leaders bring out the best in others. – Kempton Presley, AdhereHealth
15. Inspire Ownership
Leadership is not just about managing tasks—it’s about inspiring people. When you lead with trust, you foster a team culture where people feel motivated and empowered to take initiative. True leaders encourage ownership, innovation and commitment, which will ultimately benefit individual employees and create a path to long-term company success. – Andrew Pecora, Outcomes Matter Innovations
16. Maintain An Equitable Work Environment
When I first stepped into a leadership role, I thought I had to have all the answers. It turns out that the real power move was admitting I didn’t. I treat everyone on the team as equals, where there’s no ego and no hierarchy, because that’s what builds real trust. I surround myself with smart people and actually listen to them. You don’t need to be intimidating to lead, because confidence comes from collaboration, not control. – Dmitry Afonov, Aithor
17. Be Present
Leaders should be present, especially given that Teams and Zoom make it too easy to be remote and think you are leading. If you have remote employees, either visit them periodically or have them come to headquarters regularly. This is easy for small organizations, but it takes more effort for larger, multinational organizations. Employees need to see the boss face-to-face periodically, not just over the internet. – Scott Graybeal, Caelux®
18. Share Your Leadership Insights
Generously share your reasoning, research and strategic conclusions. The best leaders are confident discussing the “thought journey” that led to their decisions and plans. Sharing those decisions with your team and peers will garner their respect, accelerate buy-in and fuel action. When teams buy into a leader’s thoughtfulness and insight, the sky’s the limit. – Sal Fuentes, Decision Counsel
19. Create Clarity In Chaos
A leader needs to create clarity in chaos. Ambiguity in leadership situations is common, whether it’s in priorities, expectations, change initiatives or moments of crisis. Your team will look to you for a sense of stability and purpose when things are unclear. This means being able to distill complex situations into understandable parts, define what success looks like and communicate with confidence. – Catherine Wehlburg, Athens State University
20. Embrace Risk And Failure
Leading requires taking risks and being willing to fail, whereas managers typically look to avoid both. People follow managers because they have to, but they follow leaders because they want to. Be a leader, not a manager, by taking risks, being willing to fail and creating a culture that does the same. This will set you apart from your peers and create new opportunities for you and your organization. – Lance Reid, Telcion Communications Group
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