HOW I BECAME A TEAM LEADER AT 24

For a long time I tried to hide my age at my multinational company. As if it wasn’t enough that I was a woman, but I was also relatively young (22 when I started in the company). Granted, my first position was as a Junior Copywriter, so at that point age was less of a concern, but when I finally realized and told my manager that I wanted to become a Team Leader (age 23), I had to think about what I could do to prove myself.

So how does an ex-copywriter like me become a Team Leader at age 24?

I consider myself a natural leader (I’m an Aries, after all). I have always been the one to take over school projects, boss around my younger siblings, and enjoy taking responsibility for the actions of said group. After working at my multinational company for 10 months, I finally decided to take on a larger, department-wide project. This project was the tipping point – I decided I wanted to lead a team. Soon after, I told my manager about my future goals, and let me tell you – he was skeptical. He told me that I needed 2-3 more years of experience before I became a Team Leader. Rather than arguing with him, I decided I was going to do everything I could to prove to him my worth. Here is what I did:

1.       Actions speak louder than words

I knew that telling my Manager, or his boss, that I wanted to be a TL wouldn’t be enough – I needed to show them I was capable and I was the right person for the job. I volunteered to manage a department-wide project which was the perfect opportunity to show my skills in project management, organisation, and leadership. I had the chance to work with many different people in the department, and had face-to-face time with the head of the department. Saying what you want is not enough – you need to show that you are qualified of handling those tasks.

2.       Make yourself needed

One of the most important goals you need to set for yourself is to find a task/area that you are great at and that people can come to you with when they have questions or concerns about that given topic. Whether that’s being empathetic and being a good listener with colleagues, or being the go-to for how to use the project management platform properly – find your niche! Mine was being helpful and reliable – my colleagues knew if they gave me a task it would be done on time and with the quality that they expected.

3.       Visibility

Unfortunately in a corporate world, it is about who you know and who sees you. The more people know you – the more people will be able to vouch for who you are and what you stand for! Join different groups, participate in department-wide projects – invite people to lunch that you don’t know well. I’m personally not good at being super social, and it was really hard for me to get close to my colleagues, but I was always involved in extra projects and met and worked with many people through that.

4.       Patience/Consistency

In corporate life, things take time. Even if your manager thinks you’re ready for the next step, there may not be a position open for you yet. Be patient and keep grinding. Make sure you show your enthusiasm and will, even when you are frustrated! I had to work with a Team Leader before I became one who I couldn’t stand – I still gave 200% and showed my manager that I could do it better than her.

5.       Fake it til you make it

When all else fails, fake it until you make it! Moving up is always going to be a challenge, and you will never know everything – even as a people manager now, I still face situations when I don’t know the answer or feel defeated. Always be confident and if you don’t know the answer, take time to think, regroup and ask for help from those around you - you don’t need to be the smartest one in the room! If you really want the job and think you could be great, then don’t let them see you sweat – at the end of the day, with experience and time you will figure out the right thing to do.