Three Simple Steps to Take Before the End of Summer to Establish Yourself as a Leader

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Executive coach Sonya Shelton offers three steps those seeking to distinguish themselves at work can take before summer winds down to finish the year strong.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) August 22, 2013

Looking to set yourself apart in your company?

It usually won't happen on merit alone.

Leading executive coach Sonya Shelton, CEO and founder of Executive Leadership Consulting, offers three steps those seeking to distinguish themselves at work can take before summer winds down to finish the year strong.

1. Decide What to Stop

Organizations and individuals often fall into a comfort-mode of continuing to do things that either don’t work or could be done differently (and more effectively) for sake of the status quo.

Shelton advises that leaders within the workplace periodically step back and assess their activities to determine if they are the best path to the end.

“All systems and processes were important and had purpose when they started— but that doesn’t mean they still apply,” Shelton said. “To ensure you and your team are best using energy to fulfill objectives, question everything you do. Make it a practice for your organization to challenge one another about the value of activities.”

2. Set Clear Personal Goals

The end of the summer season, especially for those returning to the workplace from vacations with (hopefully) renewed energy, is also a good time to set personal goals for the remainder of the year. Setting small, strategic goals that will help support your role as a leader is critical in progressing in the workplace.

“To progress toward your vision, you need a clear road-map that includes objectives. Ask yourself: what is the next step you want to take to realize your vision? From there, you can create clear personal objectives that connect to your organization’s vision.”

3. Continue to Learn

Great leaders are great learners and always seek to both increase their knowledge of their industry and to improve themselves through feedback. As you enter the fall season, take the time to focus on mastering one new skill that will help you better perform your job and seek feedback from team members and superiors on their areas of need and how you can best contribute.

“Getting feedback to improve yourself is a hallmark of great leaders. Feedback allows you to continue to learn and grow. Just like you want your team and your organization to improve, you also want to improve yourself,” Shelton said. “For leaders, it’s also important to share what you learn. While it’s important to have followers, it’s critical for you to develop other leaders. Leaders who develop leaders invest time in sharing what they’ve learned with others and model the importance of continuing to learn and grow.”

For more tips and information about Executive Leadership Consulting please visit http://www.executiveleader.com and follow Sonya Shelton on Twitter for great leadership tips and daily inspiration @SonyaShelton.

About Executive Leadership Consulting:

Sonya Shelton, CEO and founder of Executive Leadership Consulting, is the author of the book “You’re an Executive, But Are You a Leader?” As an international speaker and consultant, she shows managers and executives how to increase their leadership effectiveness so they can boost their professional and business results.

Executive Leadership Consulting offers workshops and coaching programs designed to develop leadership capability at all levels of the organization. Shelton designed the programs at Executive Leadership Consulting based on her more than 25 years’ experience as a leader in a variety of companies and industries, including the high-paced fields of publishing, advertising, and entertainment. She has worked as an executive coach and consultant with companies around the world from start-ups to Fortune 100 corporations, including Disney, Nestle, and Microsoft.

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