Advice for Emerging Leaders

Earlier this year, I posted a blog about PECO’s newly defined leadership traits and our first Leadership Week event. Our team has continued to embrace the Four A’s of PECO Leadership (Authenticity, Acumen, Action and Agility) through a variety of learning and development opportunities such as monthly discussion groups and leadership panels and associate communications including our intranet and monthly newsletter. Next month, PECO will hold its second Leadership Week event and we will soon be publishing an internal resource book dedicated to developing great PECO leaders. The team compiling this book recently asked me to contribute advice that I would give to a new leader. Here are a few of the thoughts I shared with them:
 
Get to know your team. 
You can’t lead or manage everyone the same way. Each person on your team is different and you must know them well enough to recognize their strengths and challenges and understand what motivates them. You will get the most out of each team member if you change your management style to meet people where they are in their development and their lives. This is a significant part of PECO’s “Authenticity” leadership trait.
 
Empower your team to make decisions and let them learn by making mistakes.
A good leader gives their team authority to act and understands that sometimes this means that mistakes will be made. Empower your team to make decisions and then help them learn from their mistakes. PECO’s “Action” leadership trait means that leaders can make informed decisions and move forward. The “Agility” leadership trait means they can pivot off a decision that’s not working and set a new direction. Giving your team the space to take action and be agile when those actions fail will go a long way toward helping them develop their leadership skills.

When your team comes looking for an answer, challenge them instead to present a solution.
Leaders at PECO who exemplify the “Acumen” leadership trait identify how to get things done. Your team should be constantly helping you find answers and improving how things are done. You are helping them grow their skills by asking them to do so.
 
Talk to people.
Get out and meet and engage with successful leaders within your company and in the industry. Find a mentor.  You can learn a lot from other people’s successes and from their failures. 
 
At Phillips Edison, we believe that true leaders never stop learning and they work hard to develop the next generation of leaders. The above tips will not only help you become more effective, they will help your team grow, paving the path for future success for PECO and each of us as individuals.