13 Strategies to Lead Like A Rock Star

Welcome back to Shedding the Corporate Bitch podcast, the place where corporate professionals, leaders, and ambitious go-getters come to ditch the drama, crush the doubt, and turn their brilliance into bold, authentic leadership. I'm your host, Bernadette Boas, and today we're talking about something that sits at the very core of powerful leadership, not the kind defined by job titles or org charts, but by influence, clarity, and purpose. Because here's the truth, and we talk a lot about it here on Shedding the Corporate Bitch: leadership isn't a position. It is a way of showing up. It's how you think, communicate, and serve in every meeting, every interaction, every project, every decision you make. When you lead with influence, you move people. When you lead with clarity, you bring focus and calm to chaos. And when you lead with purpose, you create meaning not just for yourself, but for everyone around you. That's why this episode is all around how everyone leads and everyone elevates. Because when you rise, when you elevate your mindset, your communication, and your presence, you naturally elevate everyone you work with. Your team performs better, your relationships strengthen, your business results improve.

Welcome to Shedding the Corporate Bitch, the podcast that transforms today's managers into tomorrow's powerhouse leaders. Your host, Bernadette Boas, executive coach and author, brings you into a world where the corporate grind meets personal growth and success in each and every episode. Let's do this.

If there's one question that any executive coach is going to address in their coaching and their training, even in their speaking engagements, It's often around what leadership is and what it isn't. So many people are confused that if they're a manager of people, that automatically makes them a leader. And there could not be anything further from the truth. As we get started having this conversation, I want you to be thinking about what do you see as leadership? Who do you see as a strong, powerful leader? What attributes do they have? What traits and qualities do they possess? According to Brené Brown in her Dare to Lead book, if people look to you for clarity, confidence, or judgment, then you're already leading. So there's a real simple assessment you could be doing for yourself. On a scale of 1 to 10, where are you in providing clarity to the people around you? Where are you when it comes to showing up with confidence and certainty and strength in whatever role and whatever capacity you're in? And we're talking whether you're an individual contributor or you're a manager of people. And where are you when it comes to providing thought leadership, providing guidance, advisement, mentoring, even judgment and opinions? And differing viewpoints. If you are able to, on a scale of 1 to 10, put yourself at that 7, 8, 9, 10, then you're on the way, if you're not already there, of being a strong leader. If you happen to be anywhere in, you know, from 1 to 7, no big deal. It's a great self-awareness tool that you now have or self-awareness answer that you now have that really provides some guidance to you as to where your gaps are, where, what skills you need to be working on. So as you go through that little assessment, just one part, you would be able to identify for yourself what areas you need to be working on, what areas you need to strengthen in order to elevate the value that you're bringing to your team, to your business partners, and to the business as a whole. I remember a colleague of mine, a mentor and a colleague, many years ago, back in corporate. I came across him standing in his office, staring at a whiteboard. And the whiteboard had this org chart on it, a very large org chart. And I just watched him just standing there staring at it. And then all of a sudden he walked over and he penciled in his name off the org chart, but to the right of it as a standalone. And so I didn't interrupt him at first, and but yet he just stood there contemplating and contemplating. And I went in, I said, well, I'll call him Joe. I said, okay, Joe, what's going on? What are you struggling with? What are you strategizing on, you know, is there anything that I can help you with? And he's like, well, I'm looking at this org chart and I have no direct line of authority over anyone that's on this org chart. And I'm a standalone. I'm kind of a one-off. And he said, and I'm just stumped as to how am I supposed to influence, provide clarity, and really define a purpose, not only for myself, but for everyone else that I need to have come along with me in order to achieve the goals and the objectives that we have, both as an organization, but also for him, for himself, for myself, he was saying. And I said to him, I said, leadership isn't whether or not you have direct reports. It's not an org chart. Leadership is about that influence you provide, about that confidence and clarity that we talked about, that judgment. It's about that purpose that you do lay out for yourself and for the team and then communicate it, overcommunicate it with great clarity. To where everyone has a clear understanding of your expectations, the roles and responsibilities that they have, and where it is that you're trying to get everyone to go, what those end states, those deliverables, those results are. And if you do that, whether you're— whether you have direct line responsibility for people or you don't, that is what makes you a leader. Not necessarily the lines on an org chart. So let's break that down a little bit more. If we think leadership is all about influence, clarity, and purpose, influence looks like how you are showing up and how you are shaping others' thinking and the actions that they're taking. How influential are you? Even if you don't have that individual or group of individuals as direct line responsibility, how do you communicate? How do you empower? How do you align with them to ensure that they come along with you to achieve the goals that are being laid out for you? That's what you want to think about is how am I shaping how others think and the actions that they take in order for all of us to achieve the goals that we have. The next one would be that clarity. What are you doing or how are you communicating to where you're bringing focus? You're bringing clarity, you're bringing expectation, you're bringing vision, you're bringing inspiration, even hope to others, to where they feel fully trusted in you and therefore will follow your lead. And lastly, purpose. I had mentioned the influence, clarity, and purpose. Why are you showing up and how are you communicating that to others to where, again, they have that clarity, they have that set expectation, they know what is driving you, and, and they provide back to you what it is they're working so hard to achieve. And therefore everyone is rallied around the purpose that they each have individually and collectively to accomplish a single goal. Or multiple goals. And so when you look at leadership, look at it as that influence, that clarity, and that purpose. And then you could define strategies within each one of those so you can accomplish it. But the question I get is, okay, so how do I accomplish being a leader with influence, clarity, and purpose? And the foundation of leadership in my mind is leaving people in places better than you found them. If you can go into your job, onto your team, into the business, and be focused on what can you do better, new, different, bigger than the day before, to where it leaves the business, it leaves the people of the business, and it leaves overall that place in a much better position today than it was yesterday. And by doing that, you're automatically increasing the value that you're bringing to your team and to the business. Now, keep in mind, though, value is not what you know. Value or currency of what, what it is you're bringing to the job each and every day is really what others gain because of what you know. So break that down. Value is not what you know. So for many of those managers who are, who have yet to move into the leadership position, they still operate as experts, as doers, as technicians. They haven't stripped away and then added on the ability to advise, delegate, provide thought leadership, be strategic, look around the corners, those things that increase one's value and moves them from being reactive to being proactive, let alone a strategic partner in the business. So what you want to think about is what are those ways that you could be increasing your value, not by what it is you know, but by providing to others and allowing them to gain as a result of what it is that you know. And therefore move from being a reactive doer to a strategic leader. Let's dive into a work stream of 3 steps that you could be taking that have strategies along with them in order for you to move from a reactive doer into a strategic leader. The first one would be elevate. Basically, you want to make your value visible, but you also want to elevate the value others are bringing. And the way you elevate the value others are bringing, it is by helping them gain what it is that they need to know or what it is that they need to accomplish because of your own expertise. So you're not doing it, you're sharing and coaching and mentoring and guiding and advising others in order for them to elevate their own capability. And then you have, you want to be anticipating. You want to really think ahead, serve strategically. One comment I'll get from my clients on a regular basis is, I'm being told that I need to think more strategic. What does that mean exactly? Well, it means you need to get creative. You need to think outside the box. You need to get rid of the how that many experts or all experts and doers focus on. And you need to get into the why. What is the, purpose? What is the impact of what it is that you're doing and where it is that you're going? What will that end result be? And then the how will follow along. So if you're being told that you need to think more strategically, it's simply saying stop worrying about the how and focus on why it is that you're doing what you're doing and why it is you need to be able to influence those around you to follow your lead in order to accomplish it? And how can you elevate their value and elevate what it is they're trying to accomplish through what it is that you know, without the doing of it? And that'll all lead to you influencing from where you are, influencing from where you stand, as they say, having that clarity, setting those expectations, being clear on your purpose as well as those around you, and ensuring that they are inspired and motivated and encouraged and empowered to leverage all that they have to give in order for all of you to accomplish your goals and objectives. So if you're looking simply to build your influence, get that clarity, and be grounded in your purpose, then focus on how do I elevate those around me? How can I anticipate proactively and serve strategically? And then what can I do in order to influence others to come along with me to accomplish our goals from where you are right now, whether that is as an individual contributor or manager of people? Let's get into 4 strategies you could be using right now to elevate your value. To showcase your leadership, to ground yourself in the business, on your team, in a very strategic and very powerful way. First would be meet the business where they are. So what exactly does that mean? That means take yourself out of your head and out of all the chaos and the overload and the problem solving and decision makings that you need to make for your particular role and function. And ensure that you understand what the other team members— that could even be your bosses— really are dealing with as well. What is it that they are working on, they're struggling with, They're trying to learn. They're trying to implement. What are all those things that they're dealing with? Almost like a day in the life of— a day in the life of your team member, a day in the life of one of my business partners, a day in the life of my boss— and really understand what it is that they're dealing with on day in, day out, what it is that they're trying to accomplish. So then you can fit yourself in to elevating the value you bring to them in order for them to solve those problems, achieve those goals, answer those questions. Find those solutions. Meeting the business where they are requires you to not put aside your own goals and objectives and needs and wants and ambitions and aspirations. But more so, I often look at it as serve others because it'll serve you. Now, when I first heard that statement many years ago, I really found it to be very selfish. Well, I don't want to serve others just so I get something out of it. And sitting with it for probably a couple of years, I recognized that that's not what it means. What it means is by putting aside your own agenda, your own objectives, your own ego, your own ambitions, and just working to elevate all of those around you and, you know, providing a service that leaves people in places better than you found them. It actually brings you more joy, more sense of pride, and more accomplishment than if you are just pursuing your own goals and objectives and agenda alone. Therefore, meeting people where they are allows you to really almost like empathize and understand them and what they are dealing with, to where you can be that trusted advisor, you could be that leader for them, even as an individual contributor so they can be successful, and in turn you're successful as well. So that would be one strategy as a way of elevating your value. The other one would be something that is extremely simple in its explanation, and yet I find that so many professionals just have a very difficult time executing on it, not because it's hard, but because it requires intention and it requires attention, it requires focus, and it requires, again, wanting to elevate the value one brings to others around them and not be so concerned about their own workload, their own to-do list, their own pressures, their own, you know, goals and objectives. And so that would be to clarify goals and expectations very early on and often. And again, that sounds really simple, right? Okay. I'm going to clarify what it is that I need, what it is that I want, what it is I'm doing, what it is I need from them. And yet I find that even, let's just use at the beginning of the year as an example, when, when everyone's setting their goals and we'll start it with the leader, assuming I'm talking, that's who I'm talking with. The leader gets their goals and objectives. They trickle down to all the people that work with them. There are some that are dotted line to functional dependence, so to speak. And once those things are passed down and disseminated, that is the degree of communication that they have regarding those goals and expectations. And there is no further conversation around them. And when I say to clarify your expectations and your goals early and often, I mean you really need to strategically sit down and put together a communication plan and a cadence of how you're going to communicate with your team members or any of those dependents in order to effectively ensure that they have exactly what they need, they understand what you expect of them. And therefore, they can go, go about working on those things day in, day out to achieve those goals. And so that means you lay out your goals and objectives, you trickle them down, you have a team meeting, you discuss them, you ask questions around, you know, does anyone have questions? Is— are you clear on what it is that we are tasked to do, you know, over the next 6 months. Does anybody have any concerns? Are there any risks? Are there any, you know, challenges that anyone might have in regards to what it is that we're working on, what it is that we're being measured on, whatever the case might be? And you have that conversation to the point where everyone in that room or on that Zoom call, you know, acknowledges that it's clear, they have, they have a well-defined call to action and they know what the cadence of maybe statusing and updates and reporting and, you know, tracking will be. And so there's no surprises along the way as far as who's doing what, who's expected to do what, so forth and so on. All right. So clarify expectations and goals. Early and often. Number 3 would be you need to ensure that you're holding yourself and others accountable. Now, I'll have many managers, and I'll call them managers, who will say, oh yes, I absolutely will ensure that my, my team members are held accountable to what it is that they're supposed to be doing. But exactly how they go about doing that requires a lot of work or a lot of redo. Holding others accountable. And people get really antsy about the word accountability. All that is, is reminding those team members and yourself of what it is you signed up for, those goals and expectations that you laid out, that everyone, by the time that you were, you know, done with that communication or with that, with that team discussion, everyone agreed and shook their head or verified yes verbally, which is what I recommend. And every— and no one raised an issue or concern or any questions, then you should be able to go out and expect then that is what is going to be done. However, when it isn't, or it falls short, or a deadline's missed, or something is overlooked and therefore creates a risk, well then, and one just needs to remind the other as to what they agreed to and signed up for. Accountability is simply reminding others, including yourself, of the expectations and the goals that you set, set out, defined, and agree to. Simple as that. It doesn't need to turn into conflict or confrontation or something very stressful. It's simply reminding others and others reminding you of your obligations and responsibilities and the role that you agreed to take on. And lastly, a fourth strategy to elevate your value would be to not only invite feedback from others around you, but go seek it. Inviting feedback typically will look like someone offering it up, someone taking you aside and giving you some observations, giving you some insights, giving you some guidance, giving you some hard feedback in some cases. Whereas seeking is you intentionally go out and ask for feedback, ask for what should you start doing, stop doing, continue doing, what's working, what isn't, what are your strengths, what are your weaknesses, where should I really focus on in order to be, you know, a more valuable contributor to the team. And so you want to both invite and seek out feedback. Now, these are just 4 strategies for elevating your value, but we have 10 of them. And so if you are interested in receiving a handout of 10 tactics for you to elevate your value, and I'll make sure that the link to the handout is sent to you. That's elevate. Let's talk about anticipate. And there's 5 strategies you could be using to really anticipate proactively and serve strategically. And keep in mind, we're trying to get you from being reactive to being strategic, being a reactive doer to a strategic leader. One of those would be even as a member of a team, let alone if you're working cross-functions or cross-business unit, have your team members take time to really get inside the rhythm of the business. What is it that you're working on? What is it that you deal with on a day-in, day-out basis? What is it that you're challenged with? What is it that you're missing or lacking, you know, in order for you to do your job as effectively as possible? Understand what all your team members are doing, let alone, like I said, across the business. So then you can work your way into how you can serve them, how you can leave them better than they were when you found them, and you can elevate your value. On a regular basis, not just doing, but being strategic and elevating your value to your team and to the business as a whole. So that's number 1, get inside the business rhythm. Work to identify risks or problems in the business that could use some improvement. Be a problem seeker, but at the same time, then be a problem solver. Don't just bring the problem to your your bosses or to the team, bring the problem along with the, you know, impact to the business and the solution that you're proposing, and even going as far as how you can start implementing or acting on that solution that you propose. All right. And then number 3 would be— this goes back to meeting the business where it is. If you don't understand the routine, the day in the life of your team members or those that you depend on, then take time to even have that discovery discussion, discovery interview, to really understand what it is that they do on a daily basis. What, you know, what is it that you could be doing differently or better for them in how you engage with them? Like, where are there things that you're not recognizing what the day in the life is for that person, and therefore anything that you're sending them is in interrupting that flow and have a discussion about how can I fit and complement in what it is that you're trying to do. Because again, if they accomplish their goals, you're going to accomplish yours. So map the team member or partner experience of those around you, and it will make your life so much better. And plus, it'll leave them better than you found them. Okay, the next one would be Work to provide insights, thought leadership, guidance, advisement, mentoring, and coaching to others, especially if you consider yourself just an individual contributor. Consider the fact that everyone has things to learn. Everyone has things to tackle. Every— everyone has things to overcome. It's not just you. You might be telling yourself that, and it's not just you. So work to provide that thought leadership, work to provide that differing opinion, work to position yourself in a more strategic thought leadership way. So where others then want to have you involved, want to ask you questions, want to hear your opinions, want to and look to you to stand up for something that, you know, they believe in and yet others may not. So almost like you're standing up for them, but become that person, work on being that person who really can step up and position themselves as a leader within the team and within the business. And then the last one would be create that communication cadence that I talked about to where no one has any surprises, no one has any missed expectations. No one has risk of failing in accomplishing the goals and the objectives for themselves, for the team, for the business because of the fact that they weren't communicated to, they weren't provided feedback, they weren't given guidance. So if you have team members or if you are that individual leader with those dependents around you, then ensure you have a regular cadence of communication to ensure that everyone is still on board with what it is that they're tasked to do, that they're expected to do, and how they're going to go about doing it. And again, be that individual that serves them and that leaves them better, because it'll do the same for you. All right. And then lastly, in our work stream of Elevate, Anticipate, the last one would be Lead. If you want to really be a leader of influence, clarity, and purpose, then not only are you going to elevate and anticipate, but you're then going to put yourself in a position of leadership. And I love this quote from Sheryl Sandberg that I heard. She said, leadership is when your presence makes others better and your absence would be felt immediately. Think about that. Think about that. If your leadership made others better, which is what we've already talked about, and when you're not around, people feel that absence, feel that void, feel that lack of that inspiration, motivation, and empowerment, and they feel it immediately when, when you're not there. That is powerful. That is everything we should all be striving for. And again, if you're saying to yourself, I don't really believe that as an individual contributor, I'm a leader, and I haven't convinced you by now, then there's still an opportunity to do so. And there's an opportunity for you to prove it to yourself. All right. So here are 4 strategies that you could be taking to lead from where you are right now. Whether that is an individual contributor or a manager of people. The first one would be that I talk to, and I pretty much have my clients write it across the top of their journals, is you need to ask questions and not make statements. Too often we go into conversations, whether it's for a simple status update or it's critical feedback, and we just start shooting out statements. Without recognizing the fact that this is supposed to be— and anytime we have communication, it's supposed to be a two-way dialogue. It's not supposed to be just a barrage of statements without a conversation, without collaboration, and without that dialogue. And so if you can pay attention to how you're going into any type of conversation that you're having with team members, whether they're calm, whether they're a little bit emotional, or whether they're very confrontational. And if you can begin to ask questions as opposed to make statements, so you are understanding, you are learning, you are able to collaborate on whatever that next step might be, or the solution needs to be, or the decision needs to be, as opposed to just firing away statements at an individual which leaves them completely defensive, leaves them completely disengaged, leaves them extremely demotivated to want to do anything or to help in any way, shape, or form. And therefore, if you can shift your approach of your communications to be more questions than statements, your value will skyrocket. So instead of making statements like no, or we can't do that, think about turning it around as a question to say, what would it take for that to work? What would we need in order to take action on that solution that you have? What problem are you having that is keeping you from accomplishing A, B, and C? Consider turning your statements into questions and watch the elevation of your value increase and the trust your team members have of you. The next one would be work to connect the dots. Help others, as well as maybe yourself in some instances, help others to really see the bigger picture. How is the work that they're doing, the task that they're being assigned, how are they going to affect and impact the team's goals as a whole, or even the business goal as a whole. Employees want to know that they're making a difference. They want to know that they're contributing. They want to know that their work that they're doing, the blood, sweat, and tears that they're experiencing on a regular basis, is contributing to something. So help paint the picture as far as what is one individual's role contributing to the total team? And then what is the team's goals and objectives and the tasks that they're working on and the initiatives that they have assigned to them? How are they affecting the overall direction and vision of the business unit or the company as a whole? Connect the dots for them and allow them to really envision why they're working so hard. A third one would be become that problem solver that we talked about earlier. Get creative, think strategically, think outside the box, around the corner, whatever you need to do to really contribute positive solutions to the organization as opposed to just complaints or problems or breaks or something that feels draining as opposed to empowering. Be a problem solver. And lastly, to really lead from where you stand individually or as a manager of people, be sure you're sharing your expertise, sharing your knowledge, mentoring and coaching and training and, and really championing the success of others, championing the growth of others, and champion the elevation of other people's value. Be that champion, be that mentor, coach, and trainer. And again, people will look to you to further instill that leadership into the other members of the team and the overall business. It's a win-win strategy for everyone, and you'll be leaving people in places better than you found them. You will be serving others, which in turn will serve you, and you will be elevating, anticipating, and leading like a powerhouse leader that you're meant to be. Because as a leader You don't need authority. You don't need that direct line org chart to be a leader. You need intention, attention, and initiative. Again, you need intention, attention, and initiative in order to be a leader. To wrap up, keep in mind you have the power to elevate, anticipate, and lead. You also have The power to take small steps, which will lead to big results. And you're already a leader, whether you understand where your strengths lies or what gaps you have or what areas of improvement that are needed. You are already a leader amongst your friends, amongst your family, amongst your team, and amongst even the community. It's a matter of you tapping into it. And working toward elevating that value, elevating that influence, that clarity, that purpose in order to be that powerhouse leader you're meant to be. As a reminder, if you're interested in the self-assessment for measuring the value that you're bringing to your team or the 10 proven tactics for elevating your value, then be sure to DM me. You can also follow, subscribe, and comment on any one of the platforms you might be watching or listening to the episode. Or you can go to LinkedIn and private message me and I will send you the link to the tools. I look forward to having you for the next episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch. Bye.

Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch. Every journey taken together is another step towards unleashing the powerhouse leader within you. Don't miss any of our weekly episodes. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever wherever you love to listen. And for those who thrive on visual content, catch us on our Shedding the Bitch YouTube channel. Want to dive deeper with Bernadette on becoming a powerhouse leader? Visit balloffirecoaching.com to learn more about how she helps professionals, HR executives, and team leaders elevate overall team performance. You've been listening to Shedding the Corporate Bitch with Bernadette Boas. Until next time, keep shedding, keep growing, and keep leading.