8 minute read
CAREERS AND EDUCATION
Key tips even when you don’t have a leadership role!
You can demonstrate your leadership skills from any position, even without a formal title. For instance, a positive attitude is a great leadership trait. When you radiate enthusiasm and positivity no matter the job, people do notice. And, when things go wrong as they often do – whether it is dealing with disagreements, difficult people or office politics, it is the individual who stays above the fray who is appreciated and respected.
The people who lend a helping hand, add value and support others are truly indispensable. These are the people who are usually the first to say, “How can I help?” This increases trust and raises your level of influence. Irrespective of your position, here are a few ways to showcase your leadership skills in the workplace. 1 Be authentic Sure, experience and skills matter, but what tips the scale in your favour is your drive and passion. You will be able to create authentic connections when you embrace who you are are act with confidence. You may not be perfect now, but your authenticity will definitely inspire others to trust you.
2Appreciate the good in others The ability to see the good in others is a valuable trait in the workplace. When you spot potential in a colleague, you could guide them by offering them a challenging task. It not only builds their self-esteem but improves their skill set and the overall skill set of the team. When you appreciate others for their work, it can go a long way in building trust. 3 Solve problems When you deal with your peers, you get a chance to listen to them, identify their needs, solve their problems and gain trust. When you step up with ideas on how to resolve challenges and resourceful suggestions on how they can accomplish their goals, your worth goes up instantly. Guide your teammates to advance and help them harness their skills. Everyone including your peers and seniors will value your ability to think through problems and find fresh solutions.
4Volunteer more Start volunteering and participating in a way that contributes to achieving overall goals and objectives. Volunteer to lead a project or take on a small team — anything that will demonstrate the leadership qualities you have that will benefit the organization. Your positive results will help to build trust with your colleagues.
5Be a positive influence Your optimism can dim or light up the workplace. Always aim to set an example of positivity, and say “yes” more often to difficult projects. This is a valuable and rare leadership quality. Notice and appreciate the everyday effort by everyone, however small it may be. And do this at every opportunity, in private and in public.
This certainly helps you establish your authentic presence. Be the person who can be counted on, by ensuring that your peers have the right resources they need to excel.
6Collaborate effectively Mastering communication skills is key to successful collaboration. Start by crafting clear messages and invest efforts in forging positive relationships. Effective collaboration means working together to increase transparency and trust. This is at the core of all great teams in the workforce. By engaging with your team and maintaining positive relationships, you create an environment of genuine respect.
In summing up, by investing in people, trusting them and volunteering to go above and beyond to find solutions, you automatically demonstrate true leadership traits.
Murali Murthy is an acclaimed public speaker, life coach and best-selling author of The ACE Principle, The ACE Awakening, The ACE Abundance and You Are HIRED! He is also chairperson of CAMP Networking Canada. Learn how he can help unlock your magic at unleashyourwow.com.
When is your stress level an urgent issue?
Stress is common among students. It is not unusual for a student who has moved away from home for the first time to feel bouts of homesickness. Postsecondary students often struggle to focus on schoolwork when there are new people to meet and intense socializing going on. The expectation that students need to monitor their own time and efforts may leave some students feeling overwhelmed and unsupported. The first semester of the first year can be a major adjustment, but many students eventually manage this despite its difficulties.
When is your stress level an urgent issue?
When students experience bouts of anxiety and low moods, there may be a negative impact on their studies. While problems with mood and anxiety may be managed, they shouldn’t be ignored if they are prolonged, extending into several weeks or even months. Particularly, suicidal thoughts and self-harming behavior should be treated as urgent matters. In addition to personal discomfort and loss of pleasure, academic achievement and progress may be in jeopardy. The school schedule with its assignments and exams continues despite a student’s need to take a break to look after their health and stress overload. An inability to concentrate, agitation, sleeplessness, pessimism, obsessive worry, and other challenging issues may leave students far behind in their academic work and unable to catch up. That is why these symptoms, when stretching into weeks, may need urgent intervention.
Practical tips for students
What should you do?
If the issues you are experiencing last for weeks or months, it is important to get help, either from a mental health professional such as a school counsellor or from a physician.
Some symptoms such as fatigue, poor concentration, sleeplessness or excessive sleeping may be due to a medical condition and seeing a physician should be prioritized to rule out possible causes. If a problem with anxiety or depression is diagnosed, treatment should be considered since it may be far easier to turn around a more minor problem than a major one, if left untreated.
Since time is a factor, a good first step is finding out if your school has a health centre with medical staff or a counselling office. If you would like to see a doctor and there isn’t one at your school, counsellors can assist with finding one in the community. While they can’t provide a diagnosis, counsellors can help determine if your symptoms could be signs of a mental health problem. They can also help you find solutions to problems causing stress and develop strategies to cope.
There is often high demand for these services and students shouldn’t be satisfied with an initial appointment that is months away since their academic work could be seriously impacted. Inquire about the availability of drop-in or sameday appointments at school or call various clinics in the community, if a timely appointment is not available. Getting help when it is needed is also serves as verification as to when the problem started and when the student sought help, so students have it should they need to document this later for their school record.
While they are in the process of getting assessed, students may find out if their teachers or the school’s accessibility office can provide some flexibility or temporary academic accommodations. The school’s counselling services can usually support students with navigating these requests. If you choose to approach your professors to ask for flexibility and accommodations, consider the kind of help you need and what faculty need to know. Generally, professors do not require a lot of details about your personal health and life issues, but they may ask for documentation to support your request.
If a student is unable to continue with some or all of their classes, schools usually have policies and procedures for taking time off, issuing a temporary incomplete grade, dropping a course without academic penalty, or taking a more extended leave from school. An academic record is a student’s history and there shouldn’t be academic sacrifices when a problem is out of the student’s control and when efforts have been made to rectify it.
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Other non-health related urgent concerns
There are other situations that can put students’ academics in jeopardy such as an ongoing family or housing crisis or financial problems. Students shouldn’t make the decision to leave school without first seeking help and documenting their circumstances. Personal problems can lead to loss of time, money as well as credibility.
Services are provided at school to help students cope with problems that interfere with their academic work, to avoid disruptions to their school year, and to determine a student’s best options given their circumstances. Seek help when you need it.
Geneviève Beaupré and Susan Qadeer have extensive experience working in university and college settings, providing career, academic and personal counselling to international and immigrant students.
Deals on now.
