Forging Your GreenTech Career Path
GreenTech is becoming an increasingly appealing sector for investors, executives and entrepreneurs. Global efforts to combat climate change such as the Paris Agreement signed by 195 countries, each countries’ own environmental targets and a rise in public awareness is driving the GreenTech sector to develop at high speed.
In the renewable energy sector only, there are around 6,500 companies operating just in the UK. Amongst other subsectors, clean energy, future mobility and digitalisation are expected to grow substantially in the next few years. This brings a whole new wave of opportunities for future leaders who want to specialize in this sector.
Tips On How To Become A Future GreenTech Leader:
Show your passion
GreenTech is a fast-growing industry with a lot of potential to change the world for the better. That in itself is a good enough reason to be passionate about working in this sector. However, leaders not only have to be passionate about the work they do, they also have to show it.
Being enthusiastic about the work that you do and showing that to your colleagues will motivate them to put in the hard work and dedicate themselves to the company’s mission. It also works on an individual level: it’s important to show that you care about each employee’s work and voice your appreciation for their contributions. This will make them feel valued and, ultimately, it will encourage them to keep achieving targets.
Become an expert
Knowledge is power when it comes to becoming a GreenTech leader. Dive deep into the area of GreenTech you are working in and learn about all parts of the business, so you have a broad understanding of how each team works, what their goals are and how you can help everyone succeed. It is also important to keep up with the GreenTech market because it’s constantly evolving and changing. This way, you will be seen as an expert in the field and be more comfortable sharing your input and ideas for the business.
Your soft skills are just as important as your technical skills, so find ways to build and develop your leadership style. This involves working on yourself to understand your weaknesses and strengths, setting your own personal goals and finding areas that need improvement.
Make connections
Establishing connections with fellow colleagues and other GreenTech leaders is crucial not only because you will get peer support throughout your career path, but also because you can learn a lot from everyone. Nobody gets to the top without help, so successful leaders are the ones that truly care for the people they manage, and that make time to nourish relationships in the workplace.
Encourage a work culture of connections, where people can help each other and share their thoughts without fear. As a leader, being approachable and establishing connections with employees will facilitate your role in managing them, whilst keeping everyone engaged and satisfied with their work.
Speak your mind
Honesty is the best policy. Even though it might not be the easiest thing to do, it is worth sharing your input with the relevant people in your company, whether that is a decision you disagree with or a different idea you have. Present your thoughts to other employees with confidence and don’t be afraid to challenge them in a respectful way- that is how everyone learns.
Provide honest feedback to your employees so they can work on themselves and become better professionals. This includes showing your appreciation, congratulating them for their amazing work and telling them where they have done wrong, while teaching them how to do it right.
Train your communication skills
In GreenTech, just like in any other industry, a great leader is a great communicator. It is fundamental that your employees understand your vision, so having strong communication skills will help you share your message clearly and accurately to everyone in the company. Whilst this doesn’t come naturally to everyone, the more you practise, the more confident you will be in communicating. Initially, this might require you to put yourself in uncomfortable situations, such as doing presentations, hosting meetings or taking the lead in a project, but it will be worth it.
Effective listening plays a role in your communication as well: pay attention to what your employees tell you and make sure that you really understand what they are trying to say. Listening carefully and focusing your attention on the conversations will not only show that you care, but also help you to provide your employees what they need.
For a company to be successful, it takes not only a great leader, but also a great team. If you want to build your GreenTech startup, Storm4 can help you choose the right people for your team. We have a vast and talented network of GreenTech professionals and are happy to help you scale your GreenTech business. Drop us a message and let’s work together.
