Personal leadership is from
and for everyone
Blog by
Anneke Graven
In a technological world that is developing at lightning speed, personal leadership has become an important key to success. Not just in management, but also on the production floor. Personal leadership forms the foundation for individual growth and organizational resilience in a sector that constantly presents new challenges and opportunities. Career advisor Anneke Graven is convinced that personal leadership is a crucial factor for success in everyone’s work and life.
Impact at all levels
Personal leadership is relevant at every level; whether you are an entry-level professional, an experienced technician, or a manager. I think it’s great to see that there is increasing attention to personal development, even on the production/work floor. For everyone, self-insight ensures that you can organize your work better. That’s why I encourage employees to get to know themselves: ‘what are my talents, competencies, areas for improvement, what challenges do I face?’. When people know how they come across, which qualities they can use, and receive practical tools for this, you see them take steps forward. Often, they already have this within themselves, sometimes unconsciously. Self-insight leads you to guide yourself: that is an important part of personal leadership. This way, employees proactively take on challenges, show initiative in solving problems, and contribute to organizational objectives.
Knowing where you can improve is also personal leadership
For example, within an organization, a roadmap was circulated with our trainings and workshops and development advice. It was great to see how many people made use of this, from all parts of the company. Like people who moved up from the shop floor to team leader and ran into the fact that they lacked certain competencies and needed to develop them. That is also personal leadership; knowing what you are missing or can improve and working on it.
Developing personal leadership through conscious choices
You develop personal leadership by making conscious choices (both at work and in your life), based on your personal drive, strengths, and pitfalls. I encourage people to take responsibility for their own development. And I inspire them with various questions and exercises that help them think about this. Questions like: what are your values and do you live by them? What inspires you in your work and your life, and do you leverage it? What qualities do you have and do you already use them? It is the path from self-insight to personal leadership.
How do you approach personal leadership?
From my experience as a career advisor, I know that putting personal leadership into practice starts with actively seeking opportunities to develop skills. Many companies already offer trainings and workshops to proactively support employees in their development. It is a great stepping stone for employees who are looking for the next step, for more energy, or for insight into where they can develop further.
A general tip for HR and managers
A general tip I would like to give HR professionals and managers regarding personal leadership is: know your people, know who you have on board by helping employees in their search. If they come to you with the question: I want to develop myself, I’m not feeling well, what more is in me? Embrace these questions. Help them in their own journey from self-insight to personal leadership.
Personal leadership as a key role in individual success
As a career advisor, I am convinced that in a sector where change is the only constant, personal leadership plays a key role in the individual success and growth of professionals, regardless of their position within the organization. A wonderful goal: personal leadership as the driving force behind a strong (technological) future.
Would you like to get in touch with me about this topic? Feel free to leave a message!
Also read colleague Nelis’s blog about young people searching for their ideal career path
Here you will find an overview of our subsidized trainings and workshops
Anneke Graven
Career advisor
I have discovered that my passion lies in coaching, training, motivating, and working with people and teams. Bringing out the best in people and exploring together which path might be the right fit.
