Leadership Skills – Page 5 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Four Ways Pride Hurts Your Leadership

Posted June 1, 2021
by admin

It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels. – St. Augustine

Ronald Reagan once told the story about a speech he delivered to a very large crowd in Mexico City. After he was finished he sat down to scattered and unenthusiastic applause. Reagan said he felt embarrassed, and even more so when the next man who spoke, a representative of the Mexican government who was speaking in Spanish, was being interrupted virtually every other line with enthusiastic applause.

Reagan said to hide his embarrassment, he started clapping before anyone else and longer than anyone else until the US Ambassador leaned over and said to him, “ I wouldn’t do that if I were you; he’s interpreting your speech.”

That embarrassing moment for Reagan is a lesson that we can all learn from as leaders.

John Maxwell said, “There are two kinds of pride both good and bad. ‘Good pride’ represents our dignity and self-respect. ‘Bad pride’ is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance.” And this is the trap as leaders we must avoid.

If not careful, we can fall into the trap of writing our own headlines, believing our own headlines, and finding ourselves detached from reality in our leadership. So how do we keep that from happening? What are the traps that we need to avoid? Let’s begin with these four.

The trap of an unbridled ego

Pride hurts your leadership when you have an unbridled ego. An unbridled ego will cause a host of issues for you personally and for those around you. It will make working with you or for you unbearable. So long as you think everything revolves around you, because of you, and for you, then the capacity of everyone around is held hostage to your ego.

A leadership 101 principle states, very simply, “it’s not about you”. For the sake of your own personal growth and development, and for the benefit of those around you, check your ego at the door.

The trap of false humility

As the pendulum swings back in the opposite direction away from pride, it often lands with false humility. There are times, as Maxwell’s quote points out when ‘good pride’ is in order. But when you are purposefully fishing for a compliment to draw attention to yourself, or by downplaying things, it can have the opposite effect.

As a leader, you can be proud of your accomplishment without being full of pride or conceit. You can graciously accept the praise from another person without clothing yourself with false humility. Simply be gracious and give credit where it’s due.

The trap of complacency

Complacency is one of the most dangerous traps to be on guard against as a leader. String along a series of wins and accomplishments, and before long you can begin to take for granted that success and winds will always come this easy.

Each season of leadership that you find yourself in will require more from you than the previous one. Click To Tweet If you want to grow as a leader and reach your fullest potential you will have to fight the urge to settle, the lure of contentment, and the temptation to believe that the sacrifices of today are enough for the accomplishments of tomorrow.

The trap of going-it-alone

One of the dangers of pride in leadership is the belief that you can go it alone. We’ve been created and designed for community and relationships and when surrounded with like-minded people we can accomplish more than we ever could by ourselves. Pride says, “I don’t need anyone”, and is one of the most debilitating qualities in leadership.

Final Thoughts

Working on our pride as leaders begins by acknowledging it and allowing ourselves to be held accountable for it. Don’t allow pride to put a lid on your leadership.

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How Change Impacts Your Leadership (Part One)

Posted May 9, 2021May 12, 2021
by admin

Change before you have to. – Jack Welch

How well do you embrace change? Is it in your nature to be an early adapter to change or are you one of the last to get on the change wagon?

It’s been said that the only constant in life is change. And while that much is true, some find it more difficult to embrace than others. To be sure, not all change is bad, and not every change is worth embracing. Somewhere in between is the tension that is real for many.

One of the most infamous changes in business history occurred back in 1985. Pundits referred to it as the “marketing blunder of the century”, and the backlash was more like a customer rebellion.

The formula for Coke had not been tampered with for 99-years. But in 1985, they changed it, and “new Coke” was released. Coke customers were not impressed. The new formula was a bust. Customers stock-piled the original Coke in their basements, the customer service hotline which normally received 400 calls a day was now receiving more than 1,500. The message Coke customers delivered was simple – the old formula has worked for

Coke Ad from 1985.
Credit: Google Images

99 years, why change it?

It took just 79 days for Coke to reverse their “marketing blunder” and revert to their original formula. It was a painful lesson at the time for Coke, and one from which every leader today can learn from.

Leading at the speed of change can be challenging. How you manage it, lead it, and how you compel others to change is important. But first and foremost, it’s an inside job. If you are not willing to change, then you may be the obstacle to progress your organization needs.

In this two-part series, I will explore six obstacles to change that hold leaders back. In this post, let’s take a look at the first three.

Comfort zones

One of the chief reasons why we resist change as individuals and in our organizational structures is that we get settled in comfort zones. It’s an autopilot mindset that we are way too comfortable with. It’s the proverbial ‘new Coke’ formula mindset – it’s been the same and has worked for 99-years, why change it?

In our comfort zones, we tend to protect the status quo and become guardians of the past. If you are a leader stuck in your comfort zone you are a leader who needs to embrace change.

Habits

Most of us are creatures of habit. And just like our comfort zones, we tend to stick close to the familiar. At times, embracing change may require relinquishing old habits for the sake of growth. But old habits can be blindspots. So long as you don’t see how your habits stand in the way of progress we will never be compelled to change.

Your leadership in many ways is an extension of the habits you’ve developed over time. Ask yourself if those habits that served you well in years gone by are still useful today? What habits need to change for the sake of change?

Attitude

Oftentimes, it’s not change itself that’s problematic, it’s our attitude towards change that’s the issue. The reason in part, I believe, is that we go straight to negative thoughts about change. We think it’s going to be something bad. We fear the unknown so we hunker down determined to preserve the way things are. We like the formula just the way it is.

If you want to be a change agent within your organization, you have to model the attitude you hope to see in others. Change is challenging enough as it is without your negative attitude to deal with.

Final Thoughts

In Part 2, I will close out How Change Impacts Your Leadership. Until then, I challenge you to look at areas of your leadership where you tend to resist change and how different things would look if you didn’t.

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Developing Leadership Grit (Part 4) Tenacity or Tension

Posted April 26, 2021April 26, 2021
by admin

Grit – noun

Firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck

Dictionary.com

Tenacious people don’t rely on luck, fate, or destiny for their success. And when conditions become difficult, they keep working. – John Maxwell

Pablo Casals was considered the greatest cellist to ever live. When he was 95 years old he was asked why he continued to practice 6 hours a day. He replied, “Because I think I’m making progress.”

Be it an accomplished cellist like Casals or any other person who mastered his or her craft, it requires a higher standard of grit to go there.

Baseball great Ted Williams was known as a “natural hitter”. Once when he was asked about this natural ability, he responded, “There is no such thing as a natural-born hitter. I became a good hitter because I paid the price of constant practice, constant practice.” And herein lies the difference between those excel in their craft and those who remain stagnant and get left behind. It’s tenacity. It’s grit.

One way this grit can be explained comes from the ten thousand hour rule from Malcolm Gladwell. He spelled it out in his book Outliers. The jest of the rule is this: it takes ten thousand hours of intense practice to achieve mastery of complex skills and materials.

While some have attempted to debunk Gladwell’s ten thousand hour rule, the underlying application is that the secret to success in any endeavor is an unparalleled degree of tenacity to achieve it. Grit is the common denominator.

In this fourth and final installment of developing leadership grit, allow me to recap the leadership grit principles presented thus far:

Leadership Grit Principle # 1 – Give up or Grow – Your leadership will have moments of testing. And ultimately it will be your indomitable spirit and grit that will get you through the tests of leadership that you will face.

Leadership Grit Principle # 2 – Resilience or Retreat – Through grit, we develop and grow as leaders. When we join forces with others, we share the load. Your journey is not meant to be traveled alone.

Leadership Grit Principle # 3 – Ingenuity or Insignificance – Grit survives and thrives with ingenuity. We must play the long game and be open to change and new ways of doing things.

And now, the final principle in this series.

Leadership Grit Principe # 4 – Tenacity or Tension

In the end, you will either set your course as a leader with tenacity or you will live in the tension of unrealized potential.

Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” And this is often the source of tension and frustration with many leaders. They start strong but they don’t finish. The task is left undone. The dream never materializes. And this happened not because they lacked intelligence, talent, or necessary skills. It happened because they lacked grit.

Developing grit goes hand in hand with finding your passion. People who are passionate about their work and life’s calling tend to be grittier. They know the cost and are more willing to pay the price for their success. Let’s face it – it’s hard to be tenacious about things we don’t care about.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, grit is the difference-maker between those who thrive and those who get by. Grit will take you further than intelligence alone. Grit is a game-changing secret weapon that will take your leadership to a new level.

It’s time to get gritty.

Resource:

To learn more about the power of grit, I would encourage you to order and read this book by Angela Duckworth.

Click here to order your copy on Amazon

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Developing Leadership Grit (Part 3) Ingenuity or Insignificance

Posted April 19, 2021
by admin

Grit – noun

Firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck

Dictionary.com

Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another. – Angela Duckworth

As with many innovations, the originator of 3M’s sticky yellow Post-its didn’t know what he had at first. Researcher Spence Silver was curious about what would happen if he mixed an unusual amount of monomer into a polymer-based adhesive he was working on. The result was an adhesive that would “tack” one piece of paper to another and even restick, without leaving any residue on the second piece of paper.

The company had no use for the adhesive until 3M chemist Arthur Fry began having problems in the choir loft. The slips of paper he used to mark pages in his hymnal often fluttered to the floor, leaving him frantically searching for his place. Then he remembered Silver’s adhesive. Fry’s better bookmark soon metamorphosed into the handy Post-its that have become fixtures in offices and homes around the world.

Today, 3M is valued at more than $100 billion dollars and I’m sure Post-its is one of the main reasons why.

Throughout this series Leadership Grit, we’ve looked at how grit separates lasting leaders from those who are like shooting stars- brightly on the scene for a while before they burn out. Grit is the difference-maker.

Before diving into the new leadership grit principle, let’s recap what’s been presented to this point:

Leadership Grit Principle # 1 – Give Up or Grow Up

Leadership Grit Principle # 2 – Resilience or Retreat

As you develop your leadership grit you will be faced with those choices. Developing grit is a process and is something you develop over time. So let’s take a look at our next principle.

Leadership Grit Principle # 3 – Ingenuity or Insignificance

The Post-it note was developed in part by an act of ingenuity. It had been tinkered around with inside the company in the beginning, but it was the ingenuity of one of its researchers – in attempting to solve a problem, that put the idea for the Post-it over the top as a successful marketable product.

Post-it notes were not the only invention that was stumbled into by accident. Did you know that penicillin, the slinky, corn flakes, Teflon, and popsicles are among numerous inventions that were created by accident?

As it pertains to the role of grit in your leadership or in any other venture, ingenuity or creativity is essential. Being able to look at things in a new way or light is crucial to your success. Click To Tweet

Angela Duckworth is perhaps the leading voice on the topic of grit. In her acclaimed book, Grit – The Power of Passion and Perseverance, she states, “ When you keep searching for ways to change your situation for the better, you stand a chance of finding them. When you stop searching, assuming they can’t be found, you guarantee they won.”

You are never more than one moment of creativity away from an idea or solution that can completely change your course for the better. But those moments will never come for you if you give up. Grit in leadership is digging deep and sticking with it even when others have long since given up.

A best practice for developing grit is to play the long game. Be open to searching for new or different solutions to the challenges you face. Harness the power of a shared grit mindset that pulls together the best and brightest around you. It’s important that as a leader you have a grit mentality, but it shouldn’t operate in a vacuum.

Grit survives and thrives with ingenuity. Without it, it can lead to insignificance. As Duckworth says, “Without effort, your skill is nothing more than what you could have done, but didn’t”. Grit will require effort, but it will always be worth the effort.

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Embracing Courageous Leadership (Part 3) – Developing a Courageous Leadership Mindset

Posted March 14, 2021March 14, 2021
by admin

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. – E.E. Cummings

I read a story about Leonidas, the King of Sparta. He was preparing to take a stand with his Greek troops against the Persian army in 480 B.C. when a Persian envoy arrived. The man urged on Leonidas of the futility of resisting the advance of the huge Persian army. “Our archers are so numerous”, said the envoy, “that the flight of their arrows darkens the sun.”

“So much the better,” replied Leonidas, “for we shall fight them in the shade.” Leonidas made his stand and died with 300 of his men. Needless to say, his courage was misplaced.

In this series, I’ve made the case for embracing courageous leadership. We’ve looked at what it is not, what it is, and now, developing a courageous leadership mindset. With it the possibilities of your leadership are unlimited. Without a proper understanding of it, you could go down like Leonidas. In short, we need to get it right.

In her acclaimed book, Mindset, Carol S. Dweck writes, “When you enter a mindset, you enter a new world. In one world (the world of fixed traits) success is about proving you’re smart or talented. Validating yourself. In the other (the world of changing qualities) it’s about stretching yourself to learn something new. Developing yourself.” And this is where the first steps of developing a courageous leadership mindset begin.

Developing a courageous leadership mindset is a growth process that begins in your comfort zone and stretches you into something new. The process and journey must be embraced to go there. Here are a few ways how.

Acknowledge where you are in this moment

As you begin to develop a courageous leadership mindset, you must first acknowledge where you are on the journey. Everyone has a starting point and for each of one, the view is different.

As a young leader, I remember making the transition from what I studied and prepared for and putting it into practice in the marketplace. It was intimidating at times. But I was out to prove that I was smart and talented. But I also lacked a certain amount of courage to find my own voice because I was part of a culture of fixed traits. It was stifling.

Embrace a different mindset

If you are ever going to get out of your comfort zone and develop a courageous leadership mindset, you will have to begin to make some shifts. In our world of fixed traits and familiar ways of doing things as leaders, there must come a time in which you take responsibility for your growth, not look back, and burn the ships.

Your courageous leadership mindset is first and foremost an inside job. From there, it impacts every decision you make as a leader. Click To Tweet With a courageous leadership mindset, you are taking responsibility for your growth and development and the outcomes you desire.

Become a courageous leader

The point I want to emphasize here is that your growth and path to developing a courageous leadership mindset is a process. It takes time. As you move from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset things for you as a leader will begin to look different.

Becoming a courageous leader will be subtle at first but before too long your attitude will be different and how you look at things will change. The people who intimidated you before will no longer have that power over you. Courage will begin to take root.

Final Thoughts

Growth is liberating and having a courageous leadership mindset is powerful. Combine these two and your potential is unlimited. Believe in yourself. Embrace the mindset. Trust the process.

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Embracing Courageous Leadership (Part 2)

Posted March 7, 2021
by admin

Having courage does not mean that we are unafraid. Having courage and showing courage mean we face our fears. We are able to say, ‘I have fallen, but I will get up.’ – Maya Angelou

Often when we ask for a person’s signature, we call it their “John Hancock”. This is because of the fifty-six signatures on the Declaration of Independence, one stands out above the rest. That signature belongs to John Hancock. He was the first to sign the declaration and he signed it in a large and legible script so that the king of England could read it without using his glasses.

Hancock wanted it to be very clear where his allegiance lay. His commitment to his country was so clear that when King George III offered amnesty to all who would cease fighting, John Hancock was among the select few who were left out of the offer.

Hancock’s signature was bold, emphatic, and courageous.

In leadership, courage is a character trait that is necessary in times like this. And in this series of articles, I began with what courage is not. Let’s recap:

Courageous leadership is not placing your popularity over your principals
Courageous leadership is not passing the buck
Courageous leadership is not always about playing it safe
Courageous leadership is not about kicking the can down the road

So let’s take a look at what courageous leadership is and why it matters. Next week, I will conclude this series with a lesson on how to develop a courageous leadership mindset.

Courageous leadership is guided by values

Knowing your values and living them out are two different things. A courageous leader not only knows his values but consistently lives them. Courage will be called upon at times to live them when an easier way forward can be found by compromising them Click To Tweet. Courageous leadership steps up and opts not for what is convenient but for what is right.

Courageous leadership embraces fear as part of the journey

It’s not that leaders relish fear and desire it, but they recognize that there will be times on the leadership journey that it’s a reality. Courageous leaders don’t shy away from it but find within them a way to push through because they know what’s on the other side of fear is worth it. Courageous leaders are not defined by theirs fears, but they are fueled by them.

Courageous leadership empowers others

Courageous leaders know that the key to success is not found in what they do alone, but in how they empower those around them. They understand that when they mobilize, equip, and empower their people, they can go farther, do more, and share more successes.

Courageous leadership embraces big dreams

Courageous leaders don’t settle for small dreams. They embrace the idea that big dreams are worth the struggle and overcoming the fears of attaining them is much better than the comforts of playing it safe.

Courageous leadership is not distracted by critics and small thinkers

Courageous leaders will be met by critics and small thinkers who will attempt to hold them back. As a courageous leader, you will have to press on despite it. But to get from where you are today to your destiny tomorrow, will require courage to do it. And at times, it will require courage to leave them behind.

Final Thoughts

Courage in leadership will take you places you wouldn’t get to otherwise. Embrace it with humility and confidence. It will change the dynamic of your leadership.

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Seeing The Best in Others

Posted February 19, 2021February 20, 2021
by admin

She had a way of seeing the beauty in others, even, and perhaps most especially, when that person couldn’t see it in themselves. – J. K. Rowling

I read the story of a young boy who worked in a factory, but he had an intense desire to be a singer. When he turned ten years old, he took his first voice lesson which procured a less than encouraging remark from his teacher, “You can’t sing. You haven’t any voice at all. Your voice sounds like a wind in the shutters.”

His mother, however, believed that he could learn to sing. She was very poor, but she hugged him and said, “My boy, I’m going to make every sacrifice to pay for your voice lessons.”

Her encouragement and sacrifice for her son proved to be invaluable. He became known as one of the world’s greatest singers. His name is Enrico Caruso.

I like this story because it represents such an important leadership quality that is needed today. On a personal level, we know that we will never rise above the way in which we see ourselves. But contrast this in how you view others. Do you make it a practice to see the best or are you only finding fault?

When I was a young boy in grade school, I struggled as a student. I was diagnosed with dyslexia which made learning a challenge on many levels. The diagnosis was helpful in getting to the root causes for my academic struggles and receiving the help I needed.

One person responsible for that help was Mrs. Strong- my 4th-grade teacher. She instilled a confidence in me that was lacking along with an inferiority complex to match. But it was her perseverance in working with me that began a process of helping me to change my mindset which subsequently helped me academically. The changes didn’t happen overnight, but the seeds were planted that brought me to where I am today.

Seeing the best in your people is an important first step in adding value to them. Your people will never be moved or helped by your silent observations. So what can you do as a leader not just to see the best in others but to help move them from where they are today to a place of greater meaning and purpose in the future? Here are a few suggestions.

Build relationships

You can only see the best in others up close. When you build relationships with your people you will be more prone to see the best and finer qualities in them. It’s also through that relationship that you can identify areas that need improvement. But because you first built a relationship, you now have the credibility to see both and add value.

Build trust

The relationships that you have with your people will be different from person to person. But when it comes to calling out the best in your people it must be based on trust. Seeing the best in others is just the beginning Helping people grow to new levels begins when they trust you because trust is the currency of relationships Click To Tweet. Don’t ever underestimate the importance of trust. It’s the best way forward.

Build with patience

Seeing the best in others and calling it out is invaluable to your people. It’s a morale booster and confidence builder that’s always appreciated. However, you must think long-term and pack your patience as you help your people grow. Seeing the best qualities in your people doesn’t mean those qualities are polished or perfected - it simply means you recognize them. Click To Tweet As a leader, your job is akin to seeing the diamond in the rough. Now that you’ve found it, you can begin to refine it. Be patient with the process.

Build for the right reasons

Growing and developing leaders around you-seeing the best in them, should never be done with selfish motives or intentions. If your angle in seeing the best in your people and developing them is for your own benefit down the road, then perhaps you should reassess your motives. Seeing and wanting the best for your people should first and foremost be about making them a better leader. The residual effects that come ought to be secondary to helping that person reach his or her full potential.

Are you seeing the best in others?

Listen to Doug’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/cardinalpointleadership

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What To Do When Things Aren’t Working

Posted February 9, 2021February 19, 2021
by admin

Leaders need the courage to acknowledge when something isn’t working. – Mark Batterson

One of the challenges in leadership is having the awareness of knowing when things aren’t working. Acknowledge it too late and you may not recover. But having the ability to see things as they are in real-time with the courage to change can make all the difference between success and failure. This sounds simple enough, but is it?

Take British Airways for example. Profiled in a TinyPulse blog post, they were credited for their ability to change during a difficult transitional time. After a massive merger some years ago, British Airways faced difficultly managing itself and bring a decent service in the aftermath.

The article states, “It wasn’t until its privatization and the incorporation of the new chairperson…that the company started to enjoy positive momentum-and increase their profits accordingly.” British Airways is not alone in its ability to acknowledge when things aren’t working and making the hard decisions to make things right. But not every story has the same outcome.

An article in Collective Campus highlighted 10 companies that failed to innovate resulting in business failure. One of the companies was Polaroid. When the digital camera revolution began, they were behind the curve in adapting to the times. The article states, “Falling into the ‘success trap’ by exploiting only their (historically successful) business activities, Polaroid neglected to explore new territory and enhance their long-term viability.” And herein lies the challenge in leadership.

Two distinctions emerge when analyzing the differences between the companies who succeeded and those who failed. Here are two key takeaways.

Companies that succeeded embraced change

The TinyPulse article stated that 70% of change initiatives fail as a result of bad management, poor implementation, or even back luck. But companies with the ability to adapt to change do so because they are thinking long term.

Companies that failed relied too much on past or current success

Polaroid had a long-standing history dating back to the 1930s. For many decades they had few competitors. But when the digital age arrived they were too slow in adapting and were ultimately left behind.

Measuring what’s working and what’s not is critical to your success. Here are a few ways to do it.

Evaluate honestly

Many metrics go into how you see your business and your current posture in the marketplace. Be careful not to look at things through rose-colored glasses. Acknowledge the good, identify what’s not working or underperforming, and stay informed. Surround yourself with people who will tell you what you need to hear not just what you want to hear. In the end, what you need to hear is all that matters. Click To Tweet

Know your competition

Many of the referenced businesses that failed did so not because they didn’t have a good product. They failed because they underestimated the competition and the speed of change. By the time they got around to it, it was too late. In addition, don’t look to your competition to set the pace. Make it your mission to be early adopters and set the example for the rest.

Don’t settle

Many of the businesses failed because they relied on past successes to carry them. This is a prescription for disaster. You must constantly be improving and innovating. The work and innovation that got you to where you are today likely won’t be enough to sustain you long term. Click To TweetKeep learning and improving. Be aware of coming trends and position yourself accordingly. In short, never settle for where you are today.

Get to the root causes

It’s important to know what to do when things aren’t working. But more importantly, you need to understand why it isn’t working. You need to know things like how much ground you lost before you made the discovery, what warning signs did you miss, what changes need to be made to keep it from ever happening again, etc. Get to the root causes so that you don’t make the same mistake again.

Final Thoughts

When things aren’t working it doesn’t mean failure is inevitable, it means a correction is needed. Get out in front of it quick and lead the way.

Check out the Cardinal Point Leadership Podcast

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The Example of Your Leadership

Posted January 25, 2021
by admin

If not me, who? And if not now, when? – Rabbi Hillel

A story is told of the late Harland “Colonel” Sanders on an airplane when an infant screamed and would not stop even though the mother and flight attendants tried every trick they could think of. Finally, the Colonel asked if he could hold the baby. He gently rocked it to sleep.

Later, a passenger said, “We appreciate what you did for us.”

Colonel Sanders replied, “I didn’t do it for us. I did it for the baby.”

The story is a reminder of a principle that all leaders need to remember – it’s not about you. It never has been.

Standing in the way of an otherwise good leader that’s setting a bad example is:

A sense of entitlement – So long as you feel entitled by your position or power, you will continue to set a bad example.
Pride – So long as you feel as if serving is beneath you then leading will be beyond you.
Ego – If you are thinking too highly of yourself then it will be difficult to set an example or lead others.

In more than three decades in leadership, I’ve been exposed to some leaders who were great examples and I’ve been around those whom I had just soon forgotten about. Chances are, so have you.

So what qualities or characteristics are essential in times like these if we are to set a good leadership example? Here are a few for consideration.

A leader with humility

It’s been said that humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. A leader with humility is comfortable in his own skin and places the needs of others ahead of his own.

A leader with integrity

At the end of the day, all you have is your name. Before a person buys into your vision they first must buy-in to you. It won’t matter how good your vision or dreams are, you can only travel as far as your integrity allows.

A leader with a servant’s heart

You will never set a more powerful example than when you exemplify the qualities of servant leadership. When you serve others and are committed to their growth and when you are empathetic to their needs, you then model a style of leadership that’s worth following.

A leader who listens to his people

When the people you lead know that they can come to you and that you will listen to them, you will have their hearts. It’s a great example of leadership when your people know that you are attentive to their concerns and that their voices are heard. I’ve said it before and it’s worth repeating here again – often the best ideas don’t flow out of your office, they flow into it.

A leader who elevates others

It’s sad to see leaders who elevate themselves off the backs of their people. It’s an abuse of leadership. You will set a positive example in leadership when you learn how to elevate your people, help them grow, and allow them to succeed. When you get your ego out of the way, your people can shine.

Final Thoughts

These are but a few ways in which you can set an example as a leader. It’s up to you to never stop growing, learning, and improving as a leader. Abraham Lincoln said, “ I do the very best I know how- the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.” And this is our calling as leaders. Because if not me, who? And if not now, when?

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Elevating Your Leadership Influence

Posted January 19, 2021
by admin

Think twice before you speak because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another. – Napoleon Hill

One day a farmer grabbed his shotgun to shoot at a flock of pesky crows. Unfortunately, he didn’t see his sociable parrot that had joined the crows. After firing a few shots, he walked over to the fallen birds and was surprised to find his parrot badly ruffled with a broken wing.

When the farmer’s children saw the injured bird, they asked, “Dad, what happened?” The farmer simply replied, “Bad company.”

In leadership, one of the greatest responsibilities you have is to add value to your people and to increase the level of your influence in a positive way. As a leader, this ought to be top of mind in your thinking, but also in your actions. Are they lining up?

As you consider how to elevate your leadership influence, perhaps a good place to start is with these questions.

Are you investing in yourself as a leader?

After 30+ years in leadership here’s what I have learned – growing as a leader is a lifelong process. There’s never been a time in which I can say that I’ve learned it all. Before you can be a leader of influence in the life of those around you, you must first invest in your own personal growth and development as a leader. You have to grow yourself before you can grow others. Click To Tweet

Do you see the intrinsic value and worth of the people you lead?

It’s a simple leadership principle but one that needs to be established – if you don’t place value in the people that you lead, you will be unable to add value to them. Not everyone you lead has the same potential, but everyone has potential. Make sure that you value and respect the people that you lead, if not, your influence will be marginal at best.

Are you aware of the power of your words and actions?

The overwhelming influence you have as a leader comes from your words and actions. There’s no escaping it. The Biblical advice, “…let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…” (James 1:19) is advice we can all learn from. Your words, actions, and temperament as a leader will go a long way in determining how much influence you will ultimately have. Click To Tweet

Do you have the right motives?

In leadership, it’s important that you are using your influence for the right reasons. There’s no greater joy for a leader than to add value, build relationships, and help others grow and develop in their leadership. But sadly, not every leader has unselfish motives. Your influence as a leader is proportional to your motives and integrity.

So long as you see relationships as transactional – what’s in it for me- then your influence as a leader will be scarce and eventually people will see through it. Be genuine and authentic and your influence will increase.

Can you keep your ego in check?

I’ve said it many times over the years and it still rings true today – expressions of servant leadership are found when you concede being in the spotlight by putting someone else in it. And this cuts to the heart of what leadership is all about. The day you and I discover that it’s not about us is the day we truly understand leadership. When your influence as a leader puts someone else in the spotlight is a time of celebration, not jealousy. So long as you hold onto your ego, you will have a hard time being an influential leader.

Who’s in your circle of influence?

Elevating your leadership influence begins with identifying who is in your circle of influence and being intentional with it. Who are you reaching? How are you adding value to them? In what ways can you improve upon what you are doing? How can you expand your circle and be a more productive leader? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you increase your influence.

The Cardinal Point Leadership Podcast is coming in January 2021! The Cardinal Point Leadership Podcast is for leaders young and old. My desire is simple – to cut through the clutter and deliver leadership content that is relevant, practical, and useful. Here we will talk about leadership development, employee engagement, servant leadership, and much more.

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