Dr. Sandra Tibbs Journey to Leadership Presence
When I was 17, I took a leap into my future. I left my native Peru and moved to the U.S. I was young and it was a difficult transition, I had low self-esteem, poor confidence, and was self-conscious about my accent. Undeterred, I decided to pursue a career in the military, specifically in hospital administration. I moved through the ranks, became an officer and was assigned to intelligence. A very technical and demanding role, I knew that in order to be a success, I would need to change. I’ve always cared about people and being the best that I can be, so I forced myself to closely examine my skills, capabilities and potential. If I wanted the challenge of being in a leadership role, I needed to learn how to be a leader.
Before this new appointment as an intelligence officer, I was effective, good at my job and was even seen as a rising star. But in this new role, I was surrounded by brilliant peers, and all of them were incredible, effective officers. The mission, clients and people working for me had also risen to another level of brilliance. I was intimidated, I was quiet, I did not speak up. And, though I worked hard and led my team well, I was allowing myself to hide. I wasn’t showing my full range of talents or allowing my peers and organization to benefit from my skills because I was afraid of making a mistake. Soon after, I would realize that the real mistake was hiding. I had successfully helped grow a new department with a new mission and was ready for something more challenging. So, I went to my boss and asked him if I could take over a new department and new position – I had the ideas, and track record of success and innovation and was ready to put them to work in a new way. His response shook me: He said he didn’t feel I was ready. Not because I had made any sort of mistake, but because I hadn’t made myself visible – and he hadn’t seen what I was capable of. One again, in order to move up the ladder I had to take an honest look at myself, talk to my mentor and realize that right or wrong, I had to take charge of myself and my career.
I had to figure out who I wanted to be as a leader. I made conscious choices to be visible and an active, outspoken member of my organization. Over time, I won the respect of my boss and eventually, I got that job. Not only that, but I gained influence and my superior included me in his circle of trust. I was to be the only woman in that small, but influential group. He soon started sponsoring me, and then his superior started sponsoring me a well. I moved into a job with more visibility and responsibility and was able to be part of meetings that others in the organization were not privy to. My input was valued and considered before any major decisions were made. Had I remained quiet, unassuming and afraid, I would never had won the new roles and jobs that utilized my abilities to their fullest. And that would have truly been a fatal mistake.
The many lessons I learned on the ground in the military combined with my scholarly pursuits in leadership study have endowed me with the tools to help leaders succeed in their own way. By developing your leadership presence and leading ethically, authentically and with integrity, doors will open and your influence will be felt. Both those that have to develop their confidence and leadership style, like I did, and those who may be naturally confident need to hone their skills and become the best leader they can be. The quiet must muster their courage and tap into the power of their ideas, and those who are outspoken must be so strategically, to best formulate and communicate their ideas. No matter what your needs or who you are, by developing your leadership presence, you’ll feel fulfilled knowing that you have become the leader you have always had the potential to be. And, your team and your organization will know they are getting your best.
Before this new appointment as an intelligence officer, I was effective, good at my job and was even seen as a rising star. But in this new role, I was surrounded by brilliant peers, and all of them were incredible, effective officers. The mission, clients and people working for me had also risen to another level of brilliance. I was intimidated, I was quiet, I did not speak up. And, though I worked hard and led my team well, I was allowing myself to hide. I wasn’t showing my full range of talents or allowing my peers and organization to benefit from my skills because I was afraid of making a mistake. Soon after, I would realize that the real mistake was hiding. I had successfully helped grow a new department with a new mission and was ready for something more challenging. So, I went to my boss and asked him if I could take over a new department and new position – I had the ideas, and track record of success and innovation and was ready to put them to work in a new way. His response shook me: He said he didn’t feel I was ready. Not because I had made any sort of mistake, but because I hadn’t made myself visible – and he hadn’t seen what I was capable of. One again, in order to move up the ladder I had to take an honest look at myself, talk to my mentor and realize that right or wrong, I had to take charge of myself and my career.
I had to figure out who I wanted to be as a leader. I made conscious choices to be visible and an active, outspoken member of my organization. Over time, I won the respect of my boss and eventually, I got that job. Not only that, but I gained influence and my superior included me in his circle of trust. I was to be the only woman in that small, but influential group. He soon started sponsoring me, and then his superior started sponsoring me a well. I moved into a job with more visibility and responsibility and was able to be part of meetings that others in the organization were not privy to. My input was valued and considered before any major decisions were made. Had I remained quiet, unassuming and afraid, I would never had won the new roles and jobs that utilized my abilities to their fullest. And that would have truly been a fatal mistake.
The many lessons I learned on the ground in the military combined with my scholarly pursuits in leadership study have endowed me with the tools to help leaders succeed in their own way. By developing your leadership presence and leading ethically, authentically and with integrity, doors will open and your influence will be felt. Both those that have to develop their confidence and leadership style, like I did, and those who may be naturally confident need to hone their skills and become the best leader they can be. The quiet must muster their courage and tap into the power of their ideas, and those who are outspoken must be so strategically, to best formulate and communicate their ideas. No matter what your needs or who you are, by developing your leadership presence, you’ll feel fulfilled knowing that you have become the leader you have always had the potential to be. And, your team and your organization will know they are getting your best.