What leadership skills do I need to advance in my career?

“What are the leadership skills I need to advance in my career?” Monica Sanchez y Madrid, Human Resources Operations Senior Director, Latam, shares from her own experience to answer this popular question for “Dear HR.”

When it comes to career advancement, it’s important to understand that the skills and experiences we need to continue growing in the workplace are always evolving. Developing your own leadership skills, however, is always a great investment.

Below are some of the key ideas that have helped me advance throughout my career. They’re directly related to PepsiCo’s framework for leadership skills, which focuses on growth, relationships, execution, agility, and thinking.

1. Growth: Choose accountability.

Any time you’re confronted with a challenge, you choose to either be a victim of circumstances or be accountable for the outcomes.

If you have a victim’s mindset, you’re usually more centered on complaining, denying the situation, or blaming others. This not only prevents you from taking matters into your own hands, but it gets in the way of your creativity and ability to problem-solve and make decisions.

On the other hand, choosing the accountability mindset often leads to acting as an owner. You acknowledge the issue, look for solutions, and try to improve the situation. Holding yourself accountable is a leadership skill that will help you stay in the driver’s seat of your career.

2. Relationships: Prioritize networking.

The more I progress in my career, the more I understand the power of building strong relationships. But having good relationships with your co-workers doesn’t necessarily mean you have a strong network—you need to be intentional and dedicate time to building your network.

For example, while growing your network, it’s important to include people who are different from you and from each other. Purposefully developing a diverse network allows you to get multiple perspectives—and this lets you see situations through different lenses and learn from a variety of experiences.

A crucial part of developing this leadership skill is remembering that every relationship is a two-way street. A common mistake is to only focus on what you’re going to get out of a relationship instead of thinking about what you can give.

3. Execution: Consistently deliver great results.

As far as leadership skills go, this is a must. Delivering OK results isn’t enough to stand out. A good leader is expected to deliver excellent results in a consistent manner.

This doesn’t mean that errors can’t be made—making mistakes is part of what makes us human. But it does mean that you should always do your best, learn fast, and communicate efficiently so that your goals and team are aligned.

4. Agility: Be adaptable and resilient. 

Over the years, I’ve learned that change is certain and unpredictable. It’s not uncommon for people to spend a lot of time and energy resisting change or getting upset when something doesn’t go as expected.

Learning how to adapt in an effective way—and having the ability to move and grow through difficult times—is another key leadership skill that can help you advance in your career. Leading with empathy during times of change can also help you and your team stay resilient and solve problems in more agile ways.

5. Thinking: Stay curious and savvy.

Ever-changing environments teach us that we need to stay ahead of the curve. It’s not just about knowing and understanding your job today—it’s also about considering what that job is going to look like in the future, so you can prepare for it.

Technology, for example, moves at such a fast pace that you need to ensure you stay digitally savvy. You shouldn’t just understand technology but also know how to leverage it in the workplace and be willing to experiment. 

 Having a “scientist’s mindset” is another great leadership skill. It means constantly questioning and trying to understand the “whys” behind the world around you, which can help you expand your knowledge and prepare for future opportunities.

Next steps you can take:

• Map out where you want to go. Developing leadership skills will help you go further in your career—but not if you don’t have a vision for your future. Take time to figure out where you want to go and what you need to get there.
• Have a focused conversation with your manager about your career. Talk about your aspirations, strengths, and areas where you can look to improve. Have your manager and other mentors help you with a development plan.
• Practice! Look for opportunities to apply these leadership skills throughout each day. Networking and learning are two skills you can be proactive about outside of your day-to-day.