Shift and Lift
Learning to lead by trusting the process
“The process roadmap guided my team to our destination and beyond, transforming me from an imposter among senior leaders to their team leader in just two weeks.”
—Ira, accidental team leader turned leadership mentor
Chapter at a Glance: From individual contributor to change leader – this chapter demonstrates how structured methods create pathways for emerging leaders. Experience the Ideas-to-Action Process as both performance tool and leadership development framework as told by Ira, a talented professional who discovered inner leadership skills by trusting a process for unlocking and harnessing ideas. Subheads have been added.
I WAS AT MY CUBICLE when my boss, Janice, appeared without warning. “Ira, come join me in a meeting down the hall,” she said.
As a twenty-eight-year-old web designer, barely a year into my corporate communications role, this unexpected invitation offered a welcome break from routine.
We entered a packed conference room filled with senior leaders from Finance, HR, Operations, Sales, Safety—some familiar faces, others not. Janice guided me to an open seat.
While I settled in, Janice dropped her bombshell: “For those who don’t know him, this is Ira from my team. He’ll be leading the corporate communication project we discussed. As agreed, it kicks off in two weeks.”
Learn how to not only thrive in your first team leadership assignment but use it as a platform to reach higher.
