Be the Change
It is the start of a fresh New Year, and what better time to take on Leadership?! Yep, it’s time to stop waiting for someone else to do something, fix something, say something, or change something. As Andy Warhol said, “They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”
So let’s get after it. The world has waited for you long enough. No more hiding, holding yourself back with negative self-talk, or polishing your timeworn excuses—let’s go!
“But I don’t know how,” you say… Don’t let that stop you. Leadership is not about knowing “how”. Leadership is about being committed to moving forward in the face of not knowing how, and this commitment comes from those traits that both you and your team recognize and nourish as a necessary and integral part of your organization’s success.
Leadership traits such as:
Being a Creative Visionary and Having Passion for Your Vision
• Your job as a leader is to ask, “What is our company’s purpose? What does it look like now? How do we want it to show up in the future, and what would the future look like if we achieve our vision?” And does your vision light you up? Does it light up your staff? Great passion yields great results. Passion is the fuel that drives your vision. It’s the F-U-N in life! If you aren't in love with what you do, then why are you doing it?
Teaching Others What You Know
• For you to have the time and energy necessary to be the visionary, you must teach others so they can do the tasks necessary to achieve the vision. Leaders also teach others through their actions. What are you teaching them?
Being the Question, not the Answer
• Effective teaching means being the question, not the answer. When your staff approaches you with a question, you have a teaching opportunity. Don’t lose it! Ask them, “What actions would you take if I weren’t here?”
Being a Master of Change
• Leaders never wait for ideal conditions. Conditions are rarely “just right” and are always changing. Leadership is about moving forward, no matter what changes in circumstances you face along the way.
Being an Effective Communicator
• Leaders use straight talk—open and honest communication with the permission of those you are communicating with to do so. First, ask your team members for permission to shoot straight, which sets up their listening and gets them present to what you have to communicate. Communication is a two-way street, so as a leader, you must give your team permission to do the same.
Being Unstoppable and Undauntedly Committed to Getting What They Want
• Being unstoppable means giving up having to know the “how” about everything. And, it is all about keeping your passion alive and being driven to accomplish whatever your goals are, even in the face of fear, not knowing how, and life's circumstances. Unstoppable is taking actions consistent with your heart-felt desires, your commitment to your commitments, and being present to give up "how?" It is where freedom, aliveness, security, creativity, and fun dwell and if you can "be unstoppable" there, you can have anything you say you want without knowing how you are going to get it!
Now, who do you know that can be all of these things (and the many others that aren’t listed here) at one time? No one! Therefore, it is crucial that as a leader you also be a dynamite team builder! You need a team of people around you who helps you make it all happen. You need team members you trust to be their word; team members who are passionate about what you provide the world and are clear about the direction you, as the leader, want to go; and team members who are willing and capable of moving the troops forward when you cannot. In the end, your team makes what you say you want happen! There is an old Ethiopian proverb that describes the power of a team, “When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.” Wow! Let’s get busy making a team like that!
Leaders, their teams, and their businesses can have it all. What are you waiting for? It’s your time, right now. Let’s get going!