Work On It Wednesday: Leadership

By Emily Young MA ‘16

Ta-Dah!  You’ve made it to the third week of classes.  You are finally getting settled in and bam—a group project with students you have never met before.  Thus, this week’s focus is leadership.

Hi, I’m Emily, a graduate student in Annenberg’s Communication Management Program and this is my first Work On It Wednesday of the school year.  I started Work On It Wednesday this summer around the idea of taking time each week to invest in long-term career planning and building a personal image.  Each Wednesday I’ll be posting tips, tricks, and advice to help improve your image, achieve your career goals, and how to conquer the school year.  See the summer recap here: http://trojans360.tumblr.com/post/127191529079/summer-recap-of-work-on-it-wednesday

The beginning of the year is a great time to establish and work on your leadership skills.  Even if you don’t have a group project in one of your classes there are many ways to practice leadership.  Lots of student organizations and clubs are just starting up and looking for people to take leadership positions.  (http://campusactivities.usc.edu/)  Even just planning a large group dinner takes a good deal of leadership.

Five Must Have Leadership Traits:

Communication

A good leader is an effective communicator. Being able to clearly describe what you want to accomplish is extremely important.  In a group with different backgrounds and ideas, it is the role of the leader to unite everyone with one vision.  If you can’t relate your vision to your team, you won’t all be working towards the same goal.  This is extremely important, because usually the bulk of the group project is done outside of the classroom and on your own.  Find a good method to contact your team whether that is:  Google docs, email, group text, meeting after class, etc. Also establish a good line of communication with your professor to clarify any questions or specifications that may arise.

Ability to Delegate

Being a good leader does not mean you do all the work.  Delegating is the key to success because if you overload yourself, it will affect your ability to lead, inhibit different viewpoints and lower team buy-in.  The key to delegation is finding the strengths in your team.  If a group member feels that they would make a really good Prezi, chances are they will work harder and make your overall team better.

Decisive

Along with delegating, you need to be decisive.  A leader is in charge to make decisions.  Make self-imposed deadlines so you don’t linger on one aspect of the project for too long.  If you have three really good ideas you need to find a way to combine them or narrow it down.  Once you make a decision, then stick with it unless there is a good reason for you to change it.

Confidence

Leadership is a trait that all companies seek.  Being a good leader includes lifting the performance of those around you while navigating uncertainty to attain a common goal.  The best way to lead in uncertainty is to be confident.  The amount of work required to complete the assignment may be daunting, but broken down into little pieces it can be attainable. Laugh at the setbacks, take short breaks, and stay positive.  Be the steady face of encouragement that your team can look up to.    

Commitment

As a leader, you need to set an example for others to follow.  If you expect a certain level of work in a certain format, show an example.  Be the first to meet all the group deadlines and be able to offer help to others.  Furthermore, don’t just show your commitment, but state it.  There’s nothing wrong with sharing that you want to do well on this project and believe that your group can.  

Best of luck in all of your group projects,

Emily