The 3 steps to finding your leadership style

When I was first promoted to a management role, I had a lot of preconceived notions about what it means to be a leader. I thought that I had to take on a shiny new personality, like a superhero masking up on the way to save the day. However, developing my leadership style has actually been a process of undoing: removing my unconscious bias in order to uncover what actually works. 

My process can be split into three distinct steps: It started with looking at myself objectively, then widening the angle to see how my values and skills fit into my organisation, and finally learning how to align with my team. 

A great leader combines their values with those of their organisation, then nourishes this with their team’s unique contributions. But in order to manage others, you need to know yourself. 

At first, I felt a lot of pressure to live up to expectations. I thought that being a parent and an expat (having moved to France from Albania 20 years ago) I had to work extra hard to show that I could face any situation and exceed my goals—and the company’s. I had a strong desire to bring about new and innovative ways of doing things, but my new ideas were met with confusion from my team, and I couldn’t understand where this sudden disconnect with my colleagues came from.

One day, I decided to step back and look at myself objectively. And I realised that I’d been acting as though I needed to hide my true personality in order to be respected as a manager. I had thought that a good leader was someone neutral, who didn’t express their feelings and left their personal life at home. And here I was, letting this notion influence my behaviour into showing a tougher side that was not really me. 

But who was I? In order to find out, I wrote down specific situations in my career that had helped me grow and succeed, then identified which of my unique strengths had influenced my actions. I found that, for example, my international background helps me understand and connect with different people. As for being a parent of two young boys, it has taught me patience and flexibility. I decided then that my leading style would reflect who I am, and that I’d share my feelings, my story and my humanity with my team.  

Once you’ve identified your true self, the next step is knowing your organisation’s culture. This is the context in which your leadership is taking place. Ask yourself, what are the values articulated in my organisation, and can I grow and thrive here as a leader?

The answer involves finding out how you can express yourself effectively and harmoniously within your company’s culture. For me, this has meant finding out how my values line up with my company’s meritocracy culture, and how I can help create a workplace where people feel confident and treated fairly in order to contribute to the organizational goals. I’ve put this in practice by, for example, restructuring our team meetings to a format where we openly share any challenges we’re facing and try to find solutions together.

Another essential part of your leadership context is your team. One day it dawned on me that this doesn’t have to be a guessing game. I don’t have to figure out how to be an effective leader by myself—my team will help me! 

As soon as you step into your new leadership role, I recommend setting up one-on-one meetings with your team members. Introduce yourself. Invite questions. Discover their expectations. What does their ideal leader look like, in terms of both soft and professional skills? 

In the beginning, I struggled to find the right balance. I only focused on my goals, thinking that the team would follow, unconditionally. But when I took the time to listen to them, I was able to find a middle ground between my style of leading and my team’s needs and expectations.

Once you make an earnest attempt to understand yourself, your culture and your team, you’ll have the essential ingredients to make a great leader. After almost four years in leadership roles at Euler Hermes, I’ve learned that it takes time to figure out how to combine all aspects, and it’s all continually evolving. But basing your leadership style on a solid foundation is the only way to reach your goals, and to pave the way for future opportunities to grow your career within the right organisation.