EP248: The Vision - Your Future Leadership Self
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(The notes below are only a brief bullet point summary of what is discussed in the podcast. Be sure to listen to get all of the goodness! If you would like a full transcription of the episode, please send an email to angie@angie-robinson.com.)
This is the third part of my series on The Leadership Shift: what it means to move from individual contributor into a role with leadership responsibilities. It also applies if you're a first-time leader, if you've led for a while but haven't thought about these concepts, or if you're moving from supervisor to director or director to vice president. Every one of these shifts means something. My goal is to raise your self-awareness around it so you can be the most authentic, settled, and impactful leader you want to be.
In Episode 246, I talked about the shift: getting clear on what has actually changed (or will change) from one role and mindset to the next, what you need to let go of, and what you need to lean into. In Episode 247, I covered the foundation: understanding yourself. If you don't know what's beneath the surface, things will get in your way subconsciously, or you won't leverage what's innately yours.
This week is about the vision.
Why a vision matters
Your organization probably has a vision statement. Your team might have one too. Its purpose is to paint the picture of where the organization is going – the ideal state – so everyone moves in the same direction. The processes, the development opportunities, the staffing: everything needs to point somewhere. Otherwise it's chaos. If you don't know the results you're trying to get, how do you know what to do to get there?
It's the same for you. Your personal leadership vision answers one question: Who am I becoming?
You can't grow toward a leader you haven't yet described. It's easy to focus on everything you need to do and everything that might be going wrong. The more important question is who you want to be while you're doing it.
Pick a timeframe
This is a common exercise I walk through with my clients, and truth be told, I revisit it for myself often. It helps to choose a timeframe. There's no right or wrong answer. One year makes it tangible and easier to see. I've written a big-picture future-self description that looked 10 years out, then brought it down into smaller increments tied to points in my business.
For now, pick one year. What direction do you hold for yourself? In this exercise you're painting the picture: how you want to lead, how you want to show up, and how you want to be experienced by your team.
Painting the picture
Here is a high-level look at the worksheet I use with clients.
Who are you becoming? Describe the next chapter of your leadership. What role or title are you holding? How many people are on your team? What work are you doing and leading? Who are you collaborating with? What word or phrase best captures this version of you? What do you say about yourself, and what does your team say about you?
Character: who you are. What does this version of you believe about yourself as a leader? I love this one, because our thoughts drive our behaviors. If you want to show up a certain way or use your voice in a certain way, what do you need to think about yourself to get there? And what has this version of you learned to let go of – limiting beliefs, habits, or patterns that no longer serve you? These questions take time and honest digging, without judgment. That's the whole point.
Confidence: how you show up. What does this leader say yes to and no to? What is this leader no longer apologizing for or shrinking from?
Connection: how you lead others. How does this leader create trust and psychological safety on the team? How does this leader develop the people around them?
You may have caught on: these are my three keys to leadership magic – character, confidence, and connection.
Finding the gaps
Once you've described your future self, look at two things. First, what are you already doing, embodying, or thinking that your future self would be proud of? Second, where are the gaps between your current self (your mindset, beliefs, skill sets, and job duties) and the future self you've described?
Gaps tend to fall into three categories:
Skill gaps. These tend to be the easiest. If you need stronger presentation skills with senior leaders, you can find resources, take classes, and work with people to close that gap.
Confidence gaps.
Mindset gaps.
Confidence and mindset gaps are where people tend to get stuck, most likely because we don't spend time surfacing them and doing the work to build them up. But I promise you, it's where so much of the magic lies.
Testing your limiting beliefs
Some common limiting beliefs I hear:
"Maybe I'm just not right for that job."
"I'm supposed to have all the answers."
"I don't know enough."
"If I delegate work, it'll look like I'm not pulling my weight."
"People are already too busy. I don't want to put more on their plates."
If any of these show up for you, test them right now. Ask yourself: What is the evidence that supports this belief? What is the evidence against it?
Our brains love evidence, and they're quick to find it for why a limiting belief is true. Finding the evidence against it takes more work. That's where your power is. That's where you get to choose and challenge your brain. Our brains are malleable. We can reprogram limiting beliefs. It will take intention, but it's absolutely possible.
Some steps from current self to future self are simple: dressing differently, talking with different people, getting the promotion. But to fully live into that future self, you have to look at your beliefs, what might be getting in your way, and the confidence you need to build. I do this work for myself and with my clients, and I watch the growth happen when the mindset shifts and self-trust and self-belief grow stronger.
It isn't always easy. Setting the vision is energizing and exciting. Identifying the gaps is where it can get hard, and on your own, your brain may want to give up. That's why support is key.
Start today: three questions
Grab a piece of paper, your laptop, or your notes app, and answer these:
A year from now, how do I want my team to describe my leadership?
What's the biggest gap between that and what they might say today?
What belief do I need to challenge to close that gap?
What Do You Think?
Who are you becoming as a leader?
Links
The Leadership Shift Interest Call
Discover Your Personality Style Quiz [download]
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