10 Things You Can Accomplish Right Now
There are going to be times in life where you find yourself becoming complacent, or begin to spend an inordinate amount of time on the “problems” as opposed to the “solutions”. It’s particularly easy to lose the forest for the trees at various points during one’s career.
To become a successful leader, it’s important to recognize these events and redirect your attention in the moment to make things right. Change must come if we are to move forward. Only through self-awareness and maturity as a leader can we recognize that the only controllable in that process is ourselves.
There is no better time than the present for change; even if it is merely a slight adjustment. Progress always begins with a simple step forward, no matter how far away the end goal lies.
THE 10 THINGS YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH RIGHT NOW:
1. Practice patience.
Cultivating patience is an ongoing process in the development of leaders, one that we need to consistently re-evaluate to ensure we are consciously aware of how we act and react. Simply practicing patience will sharpen other critical skill sets, including listening, empathy, quick judgments, and a recognition of whether you are investing an adequate amount of time training and developing your team. However, patience is not enough; we also need to be present. Being present means you give others your total attention. Even if you disagree, allow others to express their thoughts and as a leader, learn to ask more questions.
2. Inspire.
Are you still modeling a strong example to your team? Remember, you’re accountable to others to provide the support, inspiration and motivation for them to take actions beyond their capabilities. You must lead with your character and values in an effort for others to emulate your behaviors. If it’s important to you to lead with integrity and have high standards, make sure you are practicing that every day. Every behavior you exhibit, both verbal and non-verbal, will be the way people perceive you. Make sure your passion is there. Go beyond inspiring, and commit to empowering.
3. Execute.
Think about a light switch; it’s either on or off. There shouldn’t be a dimmer on your ability to lead — look within and make sure that your switch is fully on. Take a moment to review the objectives you have before you: is the plan aggressive, and is the approach thoughtful and within reach? Are there any barriers you failed to identify? Now is the time to once again ask, is your plan of action executable? As a leader, your responsibility is to make certain that the message is clearly defined, the resources are readily available, the roles and responsibilities are clearly laid out and the deadline is well-communicated. If a plan fails, it falls on you.
4. Get better.
This one is simple, are “you” improving “you”? Are you reviewing your own goals to make sure you are continually challenged? Are you doing everything in your control to improve your skill set and expand your base of knowledge? Don’t ever settle — you cannot do the same things repeatedly and expect different results. That’s the definition of insanity. You need to examine yourself and be confident enough to identify areas to improve that will take your leadership game to another level and show yourself — and your team — what exceptional looks like.
5. Pay it forward.
We often become so focused on the task at hand that we fail to recognize the greater good. There is no better way to strengthen your leadership, as well as team bonds, than to go outside the four walls you work within and find an opportunity to create good. Find a place you can make an impact — it will make you and your team feel incredible, and pull you together with a common thread. We all need perspective at times; doing something good to change the lives of others will provide that.
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
6. Become self-aware.
It’s always a good time to look in the mirror. Don’t allow yourself to settle or become complacent. Take the time to do a personal inspection to ensure that your motivators and values are still consistent. Is your character one that you would want others under your leadership to emulate? Become an objective evaluator of “you”. By being self-aware, you will be able to determine if you are acting consciously, if you are being compassionate and if you are being proactive rather than reactive. If you want to take it a step further, I encourage you to allow for a 360° feedback — seeking constructive feedback from others that will allow you to gain a different perspective. This will empower you to make tremendous strides.
7. Fail.
Such a powerful word with a singular perception. It’s defined as “a lack of success”, but I disagree. We are a part of a system where the odds of failing at times can exceed those of success. Business is about risk. Risk always carries the burden of failure. However, it is the ability to turn those failures into learning experiences that allow you to move closer to success. Do you continue to find the lessons in failure with your team? Do you recognize failure as experience?
Remember, failure is not the opposite of success; it’s part of success.
8. Rediscover your will to learn.
Don’t ever fall in the trap of believing that you know it all; there is nothing further from the truth. We begin to convince ourselves that since we have done something for so long, we are an expert in the field. Once you believe you are an expert, you are on the slippery slope to complacency. Once you allow yourself to assume that you know it all, you will see things crumble before you. It’s amazing to watch an infant in early development stages; their curiosity for everything and the focus on so many uncoordinated tasks causes most of us to simply watch and smile. We watch because we are amazed at the effort they put into discovery. We need to take on that same attitude as we work to think outside the box and expand our knowledge.
9. Show gratitude.
Humility is such an amazing gift; do you use it appropriately? There are so many opportunities presented to us to show gratitude. At times, it’s as simple as saying thank you, listening with your eyes focused on the other person, recognizing another’s success, or just providing encouragement at the right time. Gratitude gives us fortitude. We are going to face challenging times; we must be thankful for courage it took us to get there. Look at those around you, and never allow ego to dictate your actions. Have pride and humility, and you will reap the rewards of loyalty and commitment.
10. Reflect.
Lastly, take the time to reflect upon your accomplishments. If you are a true leader, it took a tremendous amount of sacrifice and effort to get there. You clearly went above and beyond on numerous occasions and were recognized because of that. As important as it is to show gratitude, you should also take the time to reflect just long enough to congratulate yourself for making it this far in the journey. Leadership can be a lonely ride at times; it can be the cause of sleepless nights and never-ending days. But those who are willing to accept the challenge continually rise above the rest because of their pride in the pursuit of excellence. They also know they didn’t make it alone, and if properly credited, those who contributed will have the same amount of pride in the accomplishments and will run through a wall for you because they trust you. It means you have empowered people to succeed, and there are others who are patient and learning.
Success is an every day pursuit; there are no shortcuts.
Always be mindful of how you can improve.
Humbled to lead,
