If you’ve been in the same job, doing the same thing in the same organization for 15 years, then you’re not really good at your job.

If you were good, you would’ve outgrown the position.

Someone would be looking to give you a higher position or you’d be tired of doing the same thing and seek a new position.

If you’ve been in the same job, doing the same thing in the same organization for 15 years, you’ve gotten good enough to get by and that’s the worst place to be as a leader.

You’re comfortable and eventually will be replaceable.

So, how do you grow to be more successful in your specialty?

This could mean a higher promotion or a larger salary.

There are many ways to grow in your specialty and you must work to or you’ll be yesterday’s news.

I often get asked my opinion on the best books for leadership development.

If you’re leading a team, you can never stop growing as a leader.

Your self development process is paramount to your success as a leader.

If you don’t invest in your personal development, your team will lose confidence in you.

They won’t trust you and they won’t admire or value you as a leader.

So what are you doing right now to develop yourself as a leader?

What are you reading?

I often get asked what advice I’d give to people advancing into a leadership position for the first time.

As a first-time leader, it’s really important that you get a strong foundation.

If you don’t get off on the right foot as a new leader, you’ll run into challenges.

Your team won’t have any confidence in your ability and they won’t believe you deserve the position.

When this happens, they’ll come up with their own ideas.

They’ll veer from the pathway that you’re trying to lead them on.

They may decide that they don’t want to work for someone that doesn’t have the skillset to be a leader.

Then, they’ll leave you.

If you don’t get good advice as a new leader, you’ll struggle.

Here are four tips that I give to every first-time leader.