Could You be the Boss?

by Kate Lorenz

Ready to take on a leadership role at work? In this interview with Marshall Goldsmith, corporate America's preeminent executive coach, he tells you how to show you've got the right stuff:

What are companies looking for when vetting potential leaders?
Basically, they want someone who can mobilize others to turn their organization's values into action and vision into realities. Most often this means they're looking for people who have a global perspective and cross-cultural understanding, are able to build partnerships and alliances and can process information and learn in a highly efficient manner.

How do you communicate your leadership abilities in an interview or a resume?
For a high-level position, show your ability to think broadly, strategically and for the long-term good of the organization. Discuss your past achievements in terms of how you evaluated situations, processed information and took action by looking at the big picture.

For mid-management jobs, make it clear you achieved great results, but focus on execution and how you helped lead a team to success. Don't make it all about you. Instead, discuss how you helped others develop and how people who worked for you accomplished objectives and achieved results.

What if you haven't held a leadership role before?
One way to demonstrate your interest and aptitude is to seek feedback from coworkers on what you can do to improve. Focus on making just a few changes, and check in on your progress. Not only will your performance and relationships improve, but the feedback can help you make the case for having 'leadership qualities.'

And remember, leaders don't always have to have direct reports. You can be a leader by driving change. As a change-leader, focus on what needs to be altered as judged by who is setting the measurement standard. Make sure the person keeping score - be it a boss, senior management or customer - will find value in the changes you make. And build in ongoing follow-up to ensure your improvements are recognized and working.

When sharing these experiences, describe how you helped lead change to meet expectations of those looking for change.

How would you answer the inevitable 'what are your greatest strengths and weaknesses' questions? Don't give a generic answer. Tailor your response to the needs of the job. Highlight a strength that is needed for the particular position. And by all means, don't mention a weakness in an area that is a major job requirement!

Avoid trite, overused answers like, 'I work too hard' or 'I'm a perfectionist.' Leaders are always learning and improving, so don't ever say you are a hopeless anything.

Position how you learned and improved over time. Show how you obtained feedback from your peers or employees and how you've gotten better and are still working on improvement.

What's the best way to sell yourself ... to make them want you and not the other guy?

Mass marketing doesn't work in a job search, so redo your resume and cover letter, so that it is tailored specifically to each opportunity.

Speak in terms of positives you can bring to the company or job and what you can do for them. Show your skills and knowledge and how you can add value. Adding value is important.

Stay away from messages that say 'I'm wonderful, you should hire me.' No one wants a prima donna.

How can one become a better leader?
By asking a variety of key stakeholders for ideas, opinions and suggestions and modeling continuous learning in your day-to-day behavior through effective listening and reflection.

A good leader is a good coach, so help others around you develop. When giving feedback, keep it positive, simple and focused. And always be forward-looking. You can't change the past, but you can influence the future.