2. Be an entrepreneur while leading
Having extraordinary clarity of purpose will bring out the entrepreneur in you. Great executives are also members of the business development team. They know that furthering the organization's mission also means being involved in attracting and retaining customer engagements. They have done an awesome job communicating with staff and clarifying or defining successful behaviors that create magical team performance. Being mindful of what went right, enables the team to also become entrepreneurs on the job in gaining momentum in repeating successful customer interactions. They assume a leadership role in performing their duties, taking ownership accelerates the company’s mission.
3. Develop your intuition and then trust it
If a situation doesn't feel right, don't let logic override intuition. Have you made a leadership decision and your gut warned you against it, but you did it anyway? In the aftermath, you may have wished that you had responded with more street sense and less factual information. Develop the gut feeling that comes from observations and past experiences. Balance the unconscious nudging feeling with good critical thinking skills in the decision-making process. Whole-brained thinking will give you a balanced perspective when making leadership decisions that pure analysis will not.
4. Develop your network and leverage it
A well-developed professional network can be a source of friendships, mentors, and referrals for everything from the next movie that you see to the next car that you buy. Your network can also provide objective insights for evaluating opportunities and problems. Trade organizations, churches, alumni associations, friends of friends, and self-improvement education all offer excellent resources for cultivating relationships with colleagues who can help advance your leadership skills. Fulfilled leaders have to seek out other leaders to get unbiased feedback in making wise decisions. Building a community of like- minded leaders will eliminate isolation and the feeling of being disconnected.
5. Be the part
In the day-to-day routine of being a leader, values are put to the test. In the heat of the moment, a leader can choose to respond emotionally to the situation or react as a great leader would. Having the mindset of a great leader raises them above the circumstances and reveals their true motive in decision-making. These leaders ask a single question that prompts a series of other guiding questions and behaviors. They ask themselves- “what would a great leader do?” Be the leader that people will want to follow. Be the part!
6. Turn that fear into an ally
Fear, when channeled appropriately, can drive you to succeed. The fear of failing at a task can be the catalyst and the key ingredient in finding the best possible solution in achieving your goals. On the other hand, many breakthroughs in science, business and sports would never have occurred if calculated risks had not been taken and debilitating fear had been the deciding factor.
Successful leaders are fearless and have clarity of purpose, focused on the mission and have the grit and resilience to achieve a bigger vision. They cultivate their wow ideas and those of team members. They know that expanding their vision requires that they improve their mindset and put fear in its place.
