Some Habits of Leadership

Getting into the groove of the New Year...a month has already passed us by.  What have you been doing to cement good habits of leadership?

Here are some to consider:

1. Leaders are always at the intersection, ready to change, even morph-ready, determined, passionate, agile.
2. Build relationships before you need them.
3. Take care of tomorrow where a follower or manager takes care of today
4. Is concerned with results not activity. Results make you think, activity is a to do list.
5. Measures success, recognizes results.
6. Plans
7. Has a vision and shares it
8. Communicates
9. Accepts responsibility
10. Moves on, forward

It takes courage to stand up and speak, it also takes courage to sit down and listen -Winston Churchill

What Spiderman Says

Movies give us fantastic lines.

A movie can hold great meaning just for the parallels the plot can draw to our lives...even if the characters don't quite match who we are, the story will resonate.

A line that I think about over and over again is from Spiderman:

 "With great power comes great responsibility". 

 How true it is. How true it feels. Power is tied to responsibility ....think of a leader of a country, a corporation, a church. In the hands of that leader, with great power, is the responsibility of the those they lead....their country, their business or their community.

How do you work with power and responsibility?

Do you have movie lines that inspire your leadership?  Share them here!

Credit-Do You Get It?

People are always looking for credit. Even if they say they don't want it, deep down they really do...even if they are simply going to give it to themselves. Credit is recognition...not the monetary kind.

How do you go and get credit for what you do well? For what you are attempting?

1-give credit to others, they will follow your example
2-Energize and inspire others
3-Create a motivating environment
4-Tell the story. Telling success stories inspires others and also develops an environment to continue to do the same. Your credit comes back to you from the implementation.
5- celebrate success. Recognize publicly..helps to show that results are rewarded, recognized and shared.
6-Take responsibility. It can be difficult to do this for something that did not turn out as expected but it also shows your team that you are there for everything..good, bad or ugly.
7-Set goals. Part of getting or giving credit is having a reason, a goal to aspire to, and then naturally measuring your way there.

In other words, what I have taken quite a few lines to say is that It's About Others, not about you.

Inspiration from Young Leaders

Look around and see who is in your neighborhood.  It is amazing the leadership you will find in your own backyard or on the ball diamond or nearby soccer pitch.  Leadership is in action all around us. 

As adults, we sometimes overlook that one of the main features of leadership is caring.  The ability to look out for others, eliminate perceptions and work towards a common goal.

One particular inspiration is an aspiring athlete.  Though he has been told numerous times that his height may keep him from getting very far, he is out playing his sport every day.  He has built a regime for fitness, cardiovascular improvement, sport-specific skills and found teams to play with that make a difference to his skill level.  He will not allow what others have said to negatively affect his performance.  He actually has set out to prove them wrong.

At the same time as he is out there working, he teaches others to play, takes his time with thier skill-level and approaches each day and each shot as the gift that it truly is to him.  His passion will lead him to his future.  The skills he is acquiring now will make his future a success.

Leadership and Commitments

To be a leader that has actual followers, you need to be able to demonstrate that you can keep commitments. Keeping commitments builds trust, shows you are reliable and dependable, shows the team that you care about them, and gives a solid example to follow.


Successful leaders realize and keep close to their heart the fact that people remember every action one completes, not necessarily every word. If you say you are going to do something, then do it! Otherwise it is an empty promise or commitment and then come the excuses of "I forgot" or "I ran out of time" etc. Every time an excuse is made, trust starts to break down. As trust breaks down so does your ability to lead.
 A simple way to keep commitments is to only make commitments that you intend to keep. Leadership is not easy and sometimes saying 'no' with a proper explanation will earn you more trust and determine your leadership success than saying 'yes' and no following through.

After you have made a commitment, write it down and keep track of it - whether there is a deadline involved, which you will need to follow up with during and after the course of action, even any roadblocks along the way so that you can understand and learn from your own actions. Do whatever it takes to follow through - your leadership is on the line.
 As a successful leader, you earn trust. By setting a good example in your business, you set the expectation of keeping commitments and integrity. Who wouldn't want to be known for that?

A Point Above the Rest

You Can Be A Point Above the Rest

You are a Leader

You don't need a title to be a leader. Your leadership is reflected in your actions, your values, your words...simply - in who YOU are in your work, your community and your life.

Leadership is an attitude ...and when you are leading a team, their attitude reflects your leadership.
Points of Leadership:

1. Disciplined
2. Decisive
3. Focused
4. Visionary
5. Empathetic
6. Energetic
7. Communicator
8. Sets Example
9. Develops Others
10. Build Teams

We are all leaders, and we can move this world to a new vision of the future.

         

Have Courage

There are a lot of words that can describe courage - bravery, guts, nerve, daring, pluck, even audacity and heroism. If you act authentically, you will definitely be a person who has courage. Courage is not only for leaders and risk-takers; courage is a trait you have when you act within your values.



Acting authentically tells us that you have a set of values that reflect in every decision that you make, every action you complete, every thought that you have. Many times we can be pulled in directions that may not correspond to our values. This is the time that courage steps up and helps us to find the decision or action that keeps us true to ourselves. You could call yourself ‘plucky’ at this time!


Having courage to do what is right, even in the face of doing what is easy takes courage and the risk you assume by doing so, may lead you to understand how you operate in the face of adversity and pressure. Keeping a strong focus on our values makes having ‘guts’ easier.


Following that, we can also say that standing up against what is wrong and speaking out to defend others who need it can certainly be called courageous and brave – think of the last time you spent a few minutes debating right and wrong with someone. Did you step in to the conversation to make a point because you felt compelled to help them understand your viewpoint? Did you take a risk by doing this? You acted with your conscience and values – congratulations! You are courageous.


Here are a few circumstances that define courage:


Following your heart instead of your peers


Staying out of gossip and disrespectful behavior


Letting others take the lead for their own benefit instead of your own


Taking responsibility for your actions


Apologizing


Sticking to your message, even when others do not agree


Follow the rules – be the example that everyone follows


Look for better ways to do everything – challenge and continuously improve


How courageous are you?