Lolly Daskal's Blog, page 118

What Leadership Is Not

For many people leadership is a big nebulous word, one that can mean many different things to different people and across all cultures.

The concept of leadership can even be a little frightening. And there are plenty of leaders who would never describe themselves using that word. They would tell you that they’re just doing what needs to be done.

When it comes to leadership there is no magic formula or single way of doing things.

Every leader is unique, although there are some common threads.

In some ways leadership is easier to define by talking about what it isn’t:

Leadership is not about you. It’s about your followers, your employees, your team. The best leaders devote almost all their energy to inspiring and empowering others. Taking care of their people is a big part of being a leader.

Leadership is not about power. Leadership naturally comes with power, but to lead people with character and engender trust isn’t compatible with being primarily concerned with acquiring and using power. The most powerful leaders are those who earn trust and stay trustworthy.

Leadership is not about telling and controlling. Leadership will always involve some degree of telling people what needs to get done. But the best way to make that happen is by helping others figure out what needs to be done on their own. It’s about guiding, mentoring and coaching, not telling, controlling and micromanaging.

Leadership is not about doing everything yourself. The best leaders know they can’t meet their goals alone—they need the right people doing the right things. Leadership means delegating to the right people to get the job done right.

Leadership is not about doing all the communicating. Great leaders are almost always great communicators, but more importantly they’re great listeners. They don’t interrupt or talk over others, they listen more than they speak and they know that the most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.

Leadership is not about always feeling confident. Like everyone else, leaders don’t always have their confidence—they have uncertainty and doubts as we all do. Some people think of that as something to hide or bluff their way through, but leaders are strongest when they demonstrate transparency and vulnerability—traits that equal truth and courage. They may not be comfortable, but they’re certainly not weakness.

Leadership is not about having all the answers. We may be comforted by the idea that a leader knows everything, but the truest leaders bring people together to find the answers through collaboration.

Leadership is not about demeaning others. You don’t have to look very far to find someone in authority talking down to people who work hard, disrespecting people who make mistakes, or even bringing racism and other biases to their interactions with others. That behavior is never acceptable; it is unworthy of anyone who wants to be known as a leader. Leadership will always be focused on treating others with respect and reverence. Leaders don’t alienate; they encourage.

Leadership is not about taking credit. Successful leaders know nothing is achieved on its own; things happen when a group of people come together to make something work. Leaders should take a little more than their share of the blame when things go wrong, and a little less than their share of the credit when things go well.

Leadership is not about deflecting personal responsibility. Leadership doesn’t deflect accountability—if anything, it increases it. If it is to be it is up to me. The moment you take responsibility is the moment you have stepped into your leadership.

Lead From Within: There are many things that leadership isn’t and many things that leadership is. It’s up to us to become the kind of leader who chooses well.

 

Additional Reading:

Are You Lying to Yourself About Your Leadership?

How to Become the Leader That People Want to Follow

52 Leadership Promises for Every Week of the Year

Photo: Getty Images

 

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Love is a Leadership Competency

When I first started my coaching businesses, I used to use the word love with my clients. I told them:

Love what you do.

Love your people.

Love your work.

Love your company.

At the time, most people had never even considered that love could be a leadership competency.

People thought of love as a feminine quality, a simple emotion.

But as the years have passed, more and more of us have come see that love is not only feminine energy but has a masculine quality too. And it’s far more than an emotion; it’s an awareness that shapes everything about your behavior. It’s what allows you to lead from within.

Here are some ways to demonstrate love as a leadership competency:

Love yourself by showing compassion. If you want to lead from within, compassion is the first necessity. And the place to begin practicing compassion is with yourself. That means seeing yourself as a unique human being with faults, failures, successes and weakness—not deciding whether or not you are deserving. Showing compassion to yourself prepares you to extend it to others.

Love your people by showing your commitment. Honoring your commitments with integrity is not only a bedrock of ethical behavior but a sign of genuine love, letting others know that you can be trusted to come through for them. Love your people enough to let them know they can count on you.

Love your work by showing up with competence. Vision is a great starting place, but it’s competence that makes it into a reality. Results are important, and the care you bring to your work shows love for those you lead. When you love your work enough to contribute the very best of your capabilities, you lead with excellence.

Love those around you by showing kindness. The most simple act of kindness is powerful—nothing carries more potential for change. Kindness shows your love and transforms everyone it touches. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which are far more powerful then a thousand thinking heads. If you can show kindness, you are leader who loves.

Love is a game-changing competency, not only in leadership but also in life.

Work to become someone who leads with compassion, commitment, competence, and kindness—the qualities that define us as human beings and that propel us and those around us to greatness.

Lead From Within: When people ask you to name the most important competency of leadership, I hope you remember the competencies of love, because in the end love conquers all.

 

Additional Reading:

Lead With Love
The Secret Source of Leadership

Leadership: The Fallacy of Intimacy


Love Them or Watch Them Leave

Artwork by Hugh MacLeod

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Are You Lying to Yourself About Your Leadership?

We all try to think well of ourselves, but there are lies we can tell ourselves that do harm to ourselves. Maybe we fear being vulnerable, but we end up insulating ourselves from truths we need, and the cost is high.

Do you recognize yourself in any of these untruths? If so, it may be time to have a heart-to-heart talk with yourself:

1. I am in control. Control is an illusion. As a leader, you must allow yourself to drop the illusion of control and let your leadership lead you. Focus on the things you can control and let the rest go.

2. I can do this on my own. No one does anything alone. No matter what accomplishments you have achieved, you didn’t do it on your own. It takes a great team, a wonderful group of talented people to make an impact. Ask yourself who has contributed to your success.

3. I don’t have time. Time is precious—for everyone, and maybe especially so for leaders—but there is always time in the day for what is important. Telling yourself you can’t meet a priority because of time is just making excuses.

4. If I ignore it, it will go away. It’s sad but true: there are times we all still fall for this old lie. Most of the time what we ignore grows bigger and becomes even more cumbersome. Whatever is happening, deal with it. You can’t change what you refuse to confront.

5. I always know best. Really, is that the truth? Leadership is about inclusion and learning, not about being right. Not all leaders know what’s best or have the all the answers, and the best focus on continuing to learn and grow. If you think you know, look around to see where you can ask more questions.

6. I’m a good listener. There’s a big difference between truly listening and waiting patiently for your turn to speak. One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say. And for leaders, the art of conversation lies in listening.

7. My ego does not get in the way. Nothing destroys leadership faster than ego. The next time you feel yours getting out of check—which can happen to any of us once in a while—remember that nobility doesn’t lie in being superior to anyone else but, but in growing beyond the person you once were.

8. Everybody does it. It’s a leader’s responsibility to know the difference between right and wrong, no matter what anybody else says or does. You can never be right by doing wrong, and you can never be wrong by doing right.

9. People don’t need praise. We may like to think that people operate independently of our actions. But when people don’t get enough recognition, when they feel nobody cares, a big part of their motivation vanishes. What you praise increases; what you ignore becomes invisible and ineffective.

10. Emotion is weakness. Some leaders want to hold themselves beyond emotion to appear strong. But to share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable, and to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength. The best leaders touch hearts, and that truth always works.

11. Sometimes you have to cut corners to get ahead. The only way to lead is to lead with integrity and high standards. Always put your best foot forward—life is too short to waste it by living below your standards.

12. I’m not here to make friends. The old school of leadership will tell you that leaders can’t be friends because it may lead to favoritism. But like friendship, true leadership involves selflessness and concern for the well-being of others, acting for their benefit rather than personal gain.

There will always be lies we tell ourselves, but self-awareness requires that we look beyond them to discover the truth about ourselves and those around us.

Honesty costs nothing, and lying could cost you everything. When you tell the truth, it becomes a part of your past. When you lie, it becomes a part of your future

Lead from within: Lies are often temporary solutions to permanent problem. Listen to the lies you speak and learn how to tell yourself the truth.

Additional Reading:

Get Mad but Don’t Get Even
The Divided Will Always Be Separated
52 Leadership Promises for Every Week of the Year

Photo: Getty

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I Have A Dream

We go about our everyday lives wanting things to get better.

We hope that our work makes a difference and those who came before us are proud.

We wish for our children to have more than what we were given.

And as Martin Luther King Jr.’s said so famously in his speech-

“Dreams are at the center of any effort

to make things better.”

And so I share my dream with you:

I have a dream that we understand that we can make a difference in the world, and that how we do the things we do is just as important as why.

I have a dream that organizations work not from a place of control and fear but a place of connection and collaboration.

I have a dream that we stop asking employees to follow the status quo but allow them to be curious and creative, and that we recognize all ideas as potential stepping stones to something much greater.

I have a dream that we treat money as something to work for but not something we just accumulate.

I have a dream that when fear shows up we stare back at it courageously.

I have a dream that we replace trying to please each other with caring for each other as we care for ourselves.

I have a dream that we communicate with meaning and purpose, saying what really matters and not what we think people want us to hear.

I have a dream that we commit ourselves to lifelong relationships that stretch across the boundaries of geography, organizations, and beliefs.

I have a dream that we open ourselves to connecting on a deep level so we can mutually benefit and enrich each others’ lives, gravitating toward each other instead of away into ourselves.

I have a dream that we become a world that shares our collective intelligence and inner wisdom, that together we generate such creativity and strength and enlightenment that future generations look back at this time as the beginning of the world they grew up in.

Because as life would have it-

When we can dream together

we can change the world.

Lead From Within: Dream with me—when we dream together we can truly dream big and change the world forever.

What are your dreams?

Share them here!

Additional Reading:

How to Become A Leader You Admire
In The Words Of A Leader
Lead By Example Others Will Follow
How to Become the Leader That People Want to Follow

Photo: Getty Images

 

The post I Have A Dream appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

52 Leadership Promises for Every Week of the Year

A new year means a new beginning, and here’s a promise a week for 2016. Following them through will end up changing your leadership and your life.

There are some things every leader wants: to make an impact, to empower those we care about, professionally and personally, to be worthy of the challenges entrusted to us and to carry them out with integrity and passion.

Make these promises, and then do everything in your power to keep them.

I promise to identify vision, mission, and purpose.
I promise to keep developing and improving.
I promise to lead with character and conviction.
I promise to lead with authenticity and vulnerability.
I promise to stay on course and not cut corners.
I promise to lead with humility.
I promise to accept responsibility and be accountable.
I promise to make others’ growth as important as mine.
I promise to communicate concisely and speak with candor.
I promise to encourage creativity and embrace innovation.
I promise to listen and be silent when others speak.
I promise to ask questions and listen to the answers.
I promise to stretch myself and grow others as a leader.
I promise to simplify things and make things easier for those around me.
I promise to take risks and be flexible.
I promise not to deceive or betray.
I promise to give feedback and honest praise.
I promise to do my best and bring excellence to each moment.
I promise to see things through in tough times.
I promise to care enough to confront when it’s needed.
I promise to lead with integrity and high standards.
I promise to say only what I mean and mean only what I say.
I promise to prioritize what is important and make it meaningful.
I promise to be a mentor and coach.
I promise not to take anything for granted and to grant all that I can.
I promise to stand beside my team.
I promise to have my team’s back and watch over them.
I promise to care for my team and pay attention.
I promise to be transparent and trustworthy.
I promise to be of service and supportive.
I promise not to make assumptions or pass judgment.
I promise to do not what is easy but what is right
I promise to lead with decisiveness and purpose.
I promise to lead with the kind of enthusiasm that breeds achievement.
I promise to build great teams and productive systems.
I promise not to hold meetings just for the sake of holding meetings.
I promise not compromise my high standards or to cause others to compromise theirs.
I promise to always have an open mind and open heart.
I promise to appreciate my time and to value the time of those around me.
I promise to give latitude instead of direction.
I promise to know where I am going and to take my team with me.
I promise to always bring my highest potential instead of a narrow perspective.
I promise to choose my battles wisely.
I promise to appreciate the underappreciated.
I promise to lead with empowerment and inspiration.
I promise to do what I can to make my team’s workplace easier and more organized.
I promise to expand and grow those around me as leaders.
I promise to lead with bravery and courage.
I promise to do what I can to make my team’s life better.
I promise not only to lead but also to follow.
I promise to make love a verb.
I promise to lead with heart.

Lead From Within: A promise a week— will accelerate your leadership to excellence.

Lolly Daskal is the president and Founder of Lead From Within a consulting firm specializing in executive leadership coaching and customized leadership programs. Connect with Lolly Daskal

Additional Reading:

In The Words of A Leader
How To Become A Leader You Admire

How To Become A Leader You Admire


The Best Leaders Shine from Within

Photo Credit: Getty Images

 

The post 52 Leadership Promises for Every Week of the Year appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

Sometimes You Have to Look Back to Move Forward

As the year comes to a close, most of us are looking forward and making plans for the future—but sometimes to move ahead you must look back.

The best leaders are always taking stock of their lives, asking and reflecting. The best way to make improvements is to decide three things: what came before, what comes next, and how to get it.

But in order to move forward, you have to assess what you have learned about yourself up to this point.

Here are 10 year-end review questions to ask yourself as you prepare a strategy for moving forward.

1. What defined you most this past year?

Make a list of your defining moments in the past year and how they portray who you are. What impact did they have? How have they changed you? Reflect on those times and what they meant to you.

2. What people have you encountered and what did you learn from them?

Some of those we meet have an enormous impact on us, and others don’t. Some teach us lessons we may not have been ready to learn. Make a list of the people you met and what you’ve learned from them. What did they say or do that was especially compelling? How have they changed you?

3. What books did I read and what have they taught me?

We become the books we read; books give wisdom to our soul and wings to our mind. As Dr. Seuss said so eloquently, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Books teach us about ourselves; they clarify ideas for us and inspire us to grow and expand. Make a list of the books you read last year and what has stayed with you from that reading.

4. Where did I succeed best?

Make a list of all your biggest accomplishments. Even those that seem small to others may loom larger for you, because you know what effort it took to get there. What were your biggest accomplishments? Were they the result of pure determination, or was luck a factor? Where did you take a risk and succeed?

5. Where did I fail?

What didn’t work this year? Where did you make mistakes? Fold a page in half and on one side list all your failures. On the other side list all the lessons you learned from those failures. Remember a failure is a lesson and the first step to a success, and write “thank you” at the end of your list.

6. How did I treat myself when it came to my mental health, physical health spiritual healthy, emotional well-being?

What have you done to care for yourself this year? How can you make yourself more important in your priorities? A tired malnourished mind is over stressed and rarely productive. What will you do to nourish all parts of yourself? Make a list of how you will honor yourself—all of yourself.

7. What can I improve on?

Even one small intention can make a big improvement. Make a list of all the thing you want to improve on. Look to see where you can do better next time, where can you tweak things so you get different results. The way to make major impact is to get serious about improving yourself.

8. What do I need to stop?

What isn’t working for you? Maybe you need to stop caring so much what other people think. Maybe you need to stop overthinking or worrying about everything. Maybe you need to stop delaying the risk and go for it. Maybe you need to stop procrastinating. Maybe you need to stop living someone else’s life and start becoming the person you are meant to be. Look at what you need to stop and take action to eliminate it.

9. What can I be grateful for?

List all the things that you are grateful for: your health, your family, things that worked out, ways you could be of service? Be grateful for the times you were able to make a difference. Having an attitude of gratitude gives you more to be appreciative of.

10. What do I need to start?

In order to become who you are born to be, you must follow your heart and make the time to accomplish the things you are meant to do. If you did not do them this past year, how can you get started? Make a list of all the things you want to accomplish and what you need to begin making it happen… whether it’s writing a book, mending a relationship, launching a business. Think of all of the things you need to start and make the plan.

A year-end review helps you prepare a new path for your future. It is the things we learn about ourselves that help us move forward into our success.

Lead from within: The only time you should look back is to see how far you have come is when you want to know how to move forward into the future, doing so allows you to see how much you have accomplished and where you still want to go.

 

Lolly Daskal is the president and Founder of Lead From Within a consulting firm specializing in executive leadership coaching and customized leadership programs. Connect with Lolly Daskal

Additional Reading:

Tear down the wall so trust can get in

How to become a leader people want to follow

What legacy are you leaving

How to become a leader you admire

Photo Credit:

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7 Basic Things Every Great Leader Should Know

To rediscover great leadership, we must return to the basics of leading.

In a recent survey, only 3 percent said they have confidence in corporate executives.

The news was equally dismal for others: 3 percent reported having confidence in government officials, 5 percent in reporters and journalists, 8 percent in small business owners, and only 11 percent in ministers and clergy.

These results show, among other things, how hard it can be to find the leader who can be credible, courageous, trustworthy, ethical, and transparent.

But we all know great leadership is possible —because we ourselves want it.

Here are some basic ways we can be the example of what it looks like.

1. Do what you say you will do. Too many leaders just do whatever they can get away with. Be credible.

2. Do what’s right, not what’s easy. This one can be hard; doing what is right is rarely easy. And many times leaders choose the wrong path. Be courageous

3. Take responsibility for your actions. Stop making excuses for your decisions and rationalizing your choices. The more excuses they hear from you, the less people will trust you. Be trustworthy.

4. Stand by your convictions. Some leaders believe that high standards limit their opportunities. Everyone has their own level, but you cannot be a leader people admire if you don’t have strong convictions. Know what you value and believe.

5. Find clarity in transparency. For some the idea of transparency in leadership may be disruptive, but to be unrestricted and open ensures that those you lead are open and unrestricted with you. Today’s power is gained by sharing knowledge not by hoarding it. Be transparent.

6. Maintain scrupulous honesty. Leaders need to be honest with themselves and others. They need to understand what they can do what they cannot do and consider what they can do better. It is better to be realistic about who you are then have someone call you out on your pretense. Be honest.

7. Value character above perfection. It is often said that character is the cornerstone of leadership, the thing that sets people apart as leaders. Be righteous.

We can always look at others and complain that they don’t have what we want in a leader—but the answer lies not with others but in each one of us.

We can be the answer to the call for leadership.

We can be the example that people want to see.

We can be the leaders that others trust and admire.

Lead from within: When we get back to the basics, we can always begin again to make it right.

 

Lolly Daskal is the president and Founder of Lead From Within a consulting firm specializing in executive leadership coaching and customized leadership programs. Connect with Lolly Daskal

Additional Reading:

Tear down the wall so trust can get in

How to become a leader people want to follow

What legacy are you leaving

How to become a leader you admire

Photo Credit: Dustin Lee

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How to Become the Leader That People Want to Follow

You can become a leader people actually want to follow, not just a leader people follow because they think they have to.

Being in a leadership position doesn’t automatically make you an effective and popular leader—someone people want to follow.

There are qualities you need to have and skills you must develop to become the kind of leader people want to emulate.

Here the ten ways you can become a leader that people want to follow.

1. Lead with humility. A humble leader acknowledges that they can succeed only with the help of others. Humility draws people to you not because you have all the answers, but because you recognize how much you can learn from others.

2. Have a compelling vision.  Having a vision is good, and having a purposeful vision inspires others to work toward that purpose. When you have a vision worth following, you have a group of people that stays focused and do what it takes to be successful.

3. Take responsibility.  Leaders must hold themselves accountable for their actions; they don’t blame others when things don’t go right. Be accountable for your actions and always remember that the decisions you make affect not only your own life but the lives of others as well.

4. Be consistent.  Leaders set the tone for how others conduct themselves. If you are not consistent, those around you follow that cue. If you are not reliable, others feel uncomfortable and tentative. It is the essence of consistency that makes others want to emulate you.

5. Be affirming. Great leaders are of service, because at the heart of their leadership they know the true value of others. Always follow the Golden Rule and treat others as you would wish to be treated.

6. Show you care. Great leaders understand the importance of personal connection and attention. Show you care with everything you say and do, and let people know they matter. Listen to them, talk to them, provide them with feedback.

7. Give respect. Loyalty starts with building relationships based on respect. Show those around you know how much you respect them and their work.

8. Communication is key. Great leaders are invariably good communicators. They know how to engage others in conversations that strengthen relationships to generate results. But developing good communication skills takes work, so make the most of every conversation and communication.

9. The best proof of leadership is trust.  People want to follow leaders who are trustworthy—those whose behavior is genuine and who never leave others guessing. Make sure people can rely on you to be fair and consistent.

10. Always follow through. Being a leader carries a lot of responsibility. Often there’s too much to do in very little time. That’s why consistently following through is so important. If you say you will do something, do it. If you promise something, deliver. Remember people are counting on you.

At the end of the day, are you the kind of leader people want to follow? If yes, congrats! If no, what will you do differently?

Lead From Within: We can become the kind of leader others want to follow. We only have to learn what is at the heart of every leader: We must lead from within.

Lead From Within It’s easy to allow leadership to be frittered away by complications. We must simply. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

Lolly Daskal is the president and Founder of Lead From Within a consulting firm specializing in executive leadership coaching and customized leadership programs. Connect with Lolly Daskal

Additional Reading:

• Fair is not always fair.


• In the words of a leader

• What legacy are you leaving

• How to become a leader you admire

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The post How to Become the Leader That People Want to Follow appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

10 Ways To Simplify Your Leadership

Leadership may be complex, but it doesn’t have to be complicated, we can always simplify.

I was his coach. He complained that his leadership was filled with complications, and he did not like my answer. I told him he was to blame.

Often our greatest hardships are those we impose upon ourselves. There are some who think that in order to be a great leader, we have to allow life to teach us the hard way—but in truth, if we are open to learning things can come with ease. Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers.

Here are 10 ways you can begin right now to simplify your leadership:

1. Don’t try to read minds. Simplify your leadership by learning to communicate. Learn how to ask questions and listen to the answers. Some of the biggest and most unnecessary complications come from a lack of communication and understanding.

2. Keep your word. Complications occur when people don’t say what they mean or mean what they say. Simplify by living and leading with honesty, accountability and responsibility. Keep your promises and remember that what you say matters because people are listening.

3. Life is too short to waste time being cranky. Simplify by being mindful of your attitude. There will always be a lot of things you can’t control, but every situation comes with a choice of how you will respond—and your leadership is created in the way you choose your attitude. You can be cranky or you can be confident.

4. Forgive everyone, especially yourself. Few things are as complicating as anger. Simplify by reminding yourself to simply—as the song says—let it go! Feelings of hurt and resentment are worthless and can only drag you down. When you can find the courage to forgive and move on, it’s incredibly liberating. Always be the first to forgive—especially when it comes to forgiving yourself.

5. Don’t try to please everyone.. Trying to make everyone happy isn’t just complicated but impossible. This one’s easy to simplify: Just do what is right and treat people as you would like to be treated. Beyond that, don’t fret over what people think of you and your actions.

6. Stop worrying about your mistakes. The best leaders know that mistakes are here to bring us great wisdom. If you can look back at the mistakes you’ve made—a month ago, a year ago, five years ago—can you see the lessons you’ve learned? Did you really need to worry about them?

7. Take great care of your health. Get fit. It doesn’t matter what you do, but do it. Get into the best shape of your life. Self-neglect complicates every aspect of your life. You need to be sound in mind, body and soul to lead from your best self. Simplify first by getting a physical to make sure your health is in order, then making any needed changes to your diet, activity level, and sleep habits.

8. Look at your inner circle. . Don’t let the people you spend time with become a source of complication. Relationships that take up too much of your energy need to be ended—or, if it’s someone you must be around—minimized as much as possible. Simplify by spending time with people you admire; make your inner circle smart, driven and like-minded.

9. Kick bad habits.. If there is a habit that is complicating your leadership or your life, simplify by resolving to change it. On average it takes about 30 days to change a negative habit into a positive one, but the benefits will last a lifetime. Don’t allow a bad habit to compromise your potential.

10. Make time for what’s important.. A state of being busy but unproductive is a common source of complication. Simplify by knowing what is most important and making those items a priority. Simplify your to-do list to make time for things that are truly important.

One of the powerful things you can do is examine all aspects of your leadership and ask yourself if your attitudes and actions are simplifying or complicating your leadership. If the answer is “complicating,” do everything you can to reverse it.

Lead From Within It’s easy to allow leadership to be frittered away by complications. We must simply. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

Lolly Daskal is the president and Founder of Lead From Within a consulting firm specializing in executive leadership coaching and customized leadership programs. Connect with Lolly Daskal

Additional Reading:

• Fair is not always fair.


• In the words of a leader

• What legacy are you leaving

• How to become a leader you admire

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The post 10 Ways To Simplify Your Leadership appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

Success Is A Sunrise Away

Benjamin Franklin famously said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

He must have known what he was saying, because some of the most successful people and honorable people in history—people like Mahatma Gandhi and Thomas Edison and Nelson Mandela—were early risers.

One of the biggest secrets of very successful people is the fact that they rise early.

Studies show there are great benefits in putting in an extra hour each morning. It can feed your mind, care for your body, and develop your character.

Most of us don’t get up until we have to. But there are good reasons to inspire yourself to set the alarm a little earlier.

Early risers give themselves a gift. There is something truly special about the feeling of being awake before everyone else, when the phone is not ringing and the noise of the busy day is still. It’s a gift to begin the day in peace and calm.

Early risers have more productive days. Early risers feel more in charge of making things happen. When you begin the day not with a mad rush but with some quiet time spent alone with your internal thoughts, your days will become dramatically more productive.

Early risers are more optimistic. Earlier risers have a tendency to exhibit character traits like optimism, agreeability, satisfaction and conscientiousness. Being a night owl, while linked with creativity and intelligence, is also associated with traits like depression, pessimism and being neurotic.

Early risers have “me” time every day. Imagine an extra hour every day that you can spend however you like. It’s time spent directly in making your life better, however you see fit.

Early risers are better strategists. Many early risers use their morning quiet time for organization, goal-setting and planning out their days and weeks ahead.

Early risers have time to exercise. Many successful business people get up early to exercise, whether that means exercising their body through fitness, their mind through reading, or their heart through meditation or prayer.

Early risers have more time for the relationships that matter. If you are always working late, you are losing out on the spending time with your family. Make rising early worth its measure by using it to focus on the most important people in your life.

Early risers get better sleep. Experts on sleep say if you wake up early you can go to bed early, and your body gets the restorative sleep it needs to start fresh the next day.

Give yourself a few weeks to create the new habit of becoming an early riser. Change takes time, effort and lots of patience. But the results you will receive and the benefits you will achieve will be well worth it.

Lead From Within: At the end of the day, what we are all searching for is to become a better version of who we are. Get a head start, literally, every day by training yourself to be an early riser.

 

Lolly Daskal is the president and Founder of Lead From Within a consulting firm specializing in executive leadership coaching and customized leadership programs. Connect with Lolly Daskal

Additional Reading:

• At The Risk Of Being Changed


• The Power Of Parting: 7 Things You Need To Stop Doing 


• Lead From Where You Are And With All That You 


• The Wisdom Of Whole Hearted Leading

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