Lolly Daskal's Blog, page 60
March 15, 2022
Does Your Leadership Need Improvement In These Areas?
If you’re serious about leadership, you should have a comprehensive, frequently updated plan for self-improvement. Because it’s not the skills you already have that will make you a great leader, however strong they may be—it’s the work you put into the areas you need to improve.
Here’s a quick checkup you can give yourself on the skills leaders most often need to improve:
How are your communication skills? The most effective leaders are master communicators, with skills that center around being concise, transparent and clear. They leave people with an understanding of what needs to be done. If the people around you are frequently messing up and getting things wrong, the confusion may start with you.
How are your growth mindset skills? Great leaders consistently challenge themselves to learn and develop—in other words, to have a growth mindset. But if you lead with stubbornness, your rigidity is limiting your leadership. Lose the fixed mindset and get the coaching you need to replace it with a growth mindset.
How are your emotional intelligence skills? Strong leaders have the ability to understand other people’s thoughts and feelings while controlling their own emotions. They have honed the skill of emotional intelligence to develop the self-awareness, the social awareness and the empathy required to lead others effectively. If you’re not leading with emotional intelligence, you’re operating without the level of trust you need to be effective.
How are your influence-building skills? Influence is central to leadership—you can’t lead if no one is following you. You build influence by adding value from top, down, across and throughout your organization. It’s making connections and creating goodwill based on genuine care and interest in others that form the foundation of influence and respect.
How are your appreciation skills? I have worked with far too many leaders who take credit for all the wins in their organization without giving recognition to those who most deserve it—the people who made those wins possible. No matter how much you did yourself, you need to express appreciation and share credit to be effective as a leader.
How are your humility skills? Ineffective leaders often get into the habit of assuming that they know it all or they have all the answers. They’re in desperate need of the skill of humility. A healthy sense of humility helps you realize that you don’t have all the answers, which frees you up to learn a lot more than you thought you knew. Humility keeps your ego grounded and your leadership strong.
Being a great leader isn’t something you are born with but a set of skills that you can develop and sharpen. If you feel that you’re seriously lacking in any of the above areas, find yourself a great mentor or executive coach to help you become the leader you are meant to be.
Lead from within: To excel in leadership requires a daily commitment to developing and learning.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
The post Does Your Leadership Need Improvement In These Areas? appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
March 8, 2022
5 Common Fears Of Leadership And How To Conquer Them
All leaders have fears, and all fears have solutions. Here are some of the most common fears that hold leaders back from greatness, and ways to begin conquering them:
The fear of being an imposter. As many as 99 percent of leaders suffer from imposter syndrome, feeling like a fraud and worried about being found out. You may fear that you don’t have the skills you need to succeed. But in reality, a big part of leadership is the process of developing those skills. You can do it like most people through trial and error, but a better way is to find a really good coach who can help you navigate the journey of leadership—one who has been there before and can show the way.
The fear of being a failure. Some leaders give up on their goals because they’re afraid that they’re unattainable. They lead from that fear and settle in their leadership, and eventually they quit hoping for more. Choose to follow the example of the successful leaders who are afraid of failure but they take action anyway. When they face a setback, they work harder. They adopt new strategies and new solutions and they keep looking for the right avenue. They don’t give up their goals when things become challenging; they find new ways of working hard and achieving them.
The fear of making the wrong decision. Putting off a difficult decision isn’t effective leadership—delaying more often than not ends up hurting the organization. Making hard decisions is part of leadership. if you’re hesitant, remind yourself that not deciding is likely more damaging than any choice you can make. Whether you follow your research or your instinct, trust your judgment and make the call. Maybe in retrospect you’ll see that it was the best call, and if not you’ll deal with it and learn from it.
The fear of not being a good communicator. Most leaders have so much to communicate that sometimes their communication is not as effective as it could be. Take the time to learn to communicate effectively. Study and practice good communication habits every day, and learn from effective communicators. A few lucky people are born with a gift for communication, but most of us have to master it like any other skill.
The fear that what got them here won’t keep them here. As your leadership career grows and evolves, the skills and knowledge you need to bring also change, so in a sense this fear is valid. But it’s also easy to address. Surround yourself with talented people and put their expertise to good use. Stay open minded and open hearted, and always be willing to listen to input, opinions and suggestions from others.
Lead from within: Fear is a real element for many leaders, and learning how to conquer it is important—for you and for those you lead.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E RThe Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
The post 5 Common Fears Of Leadership And How To Conquer Them appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
March 1, 2022
How To Overcome Your Fear And Become A Great Leader
As a leadership and executive coach, I get to work with leaders around the world. Cultural differences emerge in many discussions, but when the topic of fear comes up people all over the world tend to react the same way: they become overwhelmed by the sense of uncertainty and the unknown.
Part of my job involves coaching leaders in overcoming those feelings. Here are some of the suggestions I use:
Take a breather. Too many leaders approach fear by trying to work 24/7 without taking a break. But exhaustion leaves you vulnerable, and it’s impossible to think clearly when you’re flooded with fear. The first thing to do is take a breather and calm yourself physically.
Stop avoiding your fear. Avoiding fears only makes them scarier. Whatever your fear, it can’t dissipate until you face it. Fear is big, and it’s natural to try and turn away—but that approach only makes things worse.
Imagine the worst. Try imagining the worst thing that can happen. Then imagine yourself in that situation. Once you’ve seen and understood the worst possible outcome you become stronger, because fear thrives in the unknown.
Face your fear. If you can face your fear, you can respond to it as a problem to solve. View the fear as a piece of information instead of a threat to your leadership. In time fear can even become an ally—a source of guidance to help you avoid pitfalls as you grow into your potential as a leader.
Don’t try to be perfect. Every leader faces stress, and often these stresses produce fears. Don’t add to that stress and fear by aiming for perfection. In most situations you don’t have to find the perfect solution—you just have to respond in a way that helps solve the problem.
Plan for action. Fear tends to stop us in our tracks, so in fearful times it’s important to plan and then act. Take some time to think things through, then resolve to take action in the direction that seems best. The worst possible response is to stop and do nothing.
Surround yourself with success. Be strategic about the people you work with and talk to. If your inner circle is positive and energetic, they’ll leave you feeling empowered to work through your fear and take effective action. The energy around you will always make a difference.
Get support. It’s hard to move forward in your leadership when you’re living with fear. If you aren’t able to overcome it on your own, it’s time to find some support. A coach is often the best solution—someone outside your inner circle who can bring a new perspective to an old situation and new insights into the source of your fear.
Lead from within: Every leader experiences fear. It’s what they do with that fear that makes the biggest difference.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E RThe Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
The post How To Overcome Your Fear And Become A Great Leader appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
February 23, 2022
6 Overlooked Traits That Separate Great Leaders From The Rest
If you ask people what separates great leaders from the rest, most will tell you it’s intelligence, confidence, charisma, strength, or something similar. But over my many years of coaching leaders around the world, I’ve come to realize that what separates great leaders from good leaders comes down to certain skills. Here are six of the most important:
A great leader embraces feedback: Leaders who stand apart from their peers are those who embrace feedback. Most leaders—like most people—become defensive when they’re given feedback. But leaders who welcome feedback understand that surrounding themselves with agreement leaves no room for the challenges and pushback that drive change and growth. The best leaders build a circle of trusted team members they can count on to provide honest feedback—positive and negative.
A great leader shows empathy: Sometimes leaders who demonstrate empathy are perceived as weak. But empathy requires powerful discipline, especially when it comes to listening. Taking the time to truly listen is never easy. For a leader it means devoting precious time, focusing outside your own priorities, and overcoming the urge to fix things. Empathatic listening may take practice, but it’s something the most extraordinary leaders excel at.
A great leader speaks truth: Most leaders who lie do so not because they want to but because they feel they need to—to keep up appearances or preserve relationships or avoid awkward conversations. But the truth always catches up eventually. The most effective leaders know that honesty and transparency will uphold their character, and they truth-telling a priority.
A great leader admits mistakes: Even the greatest leaders make mistakes, but not many will admit to them. It takes a confident and secure leader to say “I made a mistake,” to own their failures and lapses in judgment. If you want to be a leader people truly admire, you have to be willing to take responsibility when things go wrong. Only when you do can begin to put things right.
A great leader shows appreciation: Many leaders don’t take the time to give credit to others. “Why should I appreciate people for doing what they’re supposed to do?” they ask. But even when they’re doing their job, people want to be acknowledged and appreciated. And the best leaders make it a point to appreciate, recognize and acknowledge their people.
A great leader seeks support: Asking for help doesn’t come naturally to most leaders—they tend to pride themselves on their own abilities and knowledge. But that pride often gets in the way when they’re in need of support. The most effective leaders know when they need coaching or the assistance of a trusted peer. They’re humble enough to know they don’t have all the answers, so they seek out someone who can help.
Lead from within: Let go of the image you have of what makes you a great leader. Instead, seek to distinguish yourself by focusing on the traits that will separate you from the rest.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
The post 6 Overlooked Traits That Separate Great Leaders From The Rest appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
May 19, 2021
Why Being a Self Serving Leader is So Dangerous
Good leadership is focused on others, but self-serving leadership undermines that principle to focus on the ego and the symptoms can take hold and begin damaging your leadership before you’re even aware. Be on guard against these signs so you can recognize them in yourself before they take root and grow:
Arguing. If you find yourself often arguing with others or in a mindset where you’re right and others are wrong, you’re likely coming across as rigid and unwilling to listen. Stop arguing and start being open to finding points of agreement.
Absence. If you’re always engaged in something else when your people need you, they’ll see you as distracted, absorbed and preoccupied. Work to becoming a leader who empowers, inspires and motivates by being available and accessible.
Defensiveness. When your leadership is about protecting and defending yourself, you’re likely to find yourself working against those you’re supposed to be leading.
Boasting. When you take all the credit instead of sharing it with your team, you show them where your priorities are, so don’t expect them to work so hard next time. Spotlight your people instead of yourself.
Bluster. If you’re in the habit of speaking over others, interrupting, and making statements without allowing others to respond or express their own thoughts, you kill the energy and ideas of your team. Talk less and listen more.
Competitiveness. Competition can spur people to do great work, but if you’re competing against those you lead, you’re setting a bad example. Remember that they’re on your side; work to elevate their performance and focus your competitive side elsewhere.
Envy. When you’re jealous or begrudging of those you lead, remember that leadership at its core is taking pleasure in other people’s success. Celebrate, appreciate and recognize the work and success of others.
Self-promotion. If your leadership is ego-driven, you’re missing the point. Turn your attention to elevating those you lead, not yourself. Any time you find yourself wanting to promote yourself, change it up and honor your team instead.
Delusion. if you’re basing your leadership on a false impression of your own self-importance, you need to understand that grandstanding serves only to isolate you from those you are trying to influence and lead, and it’s counterproductive to bringing people together to do great things. Break down the false and misleading impressions you have of yourself and practice leading from reality.
Ego. When you think of leadership as something you do to serve yourself, your leadership is bogged down in ego. Instead, try dedicating your energy to helping others be successful. Be known as a leader who serves others instead of yourself.
Self-serving leadership is dangerous to you and to those you lead. Few things can do more to undermine your influence, respect and trust.
Lead from within: It’s easy to fall into self-serving leadership behaviors, even if it’s not the way you normally operate. So be a thoughtful leader who is self-aware at all times.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E RThe Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
The post Why Being a Self Serving Leader is So Dangerous appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
May 4, 2021
Your Leadership Is Contagious—Whether You Know It Or Not
When standards in an organization change, the process tends to be so gradual that it’s not readily noticeable. One day you look around and realize that things that used to be unacceptable are now commonplace. Whether it’s a lax attitude toward work and deadlines, gossip and backbiting, or dishonesty, it’s easy for negative behavior to take hold.
When norms change, people tend to ask “How did that happen?” I’m here to tell you: it starts at the top. Leadership is contagious, whether leaders know it or not. If a leader’s standards slip, the standards of the organization follow. If leadership’s values are compromised, the values of the business won’t be far behind. It’s imperative to keep close tabs on your own leadership, because others are certain to follow your lead, one by one, until your entire team is affected.
Here are some of the ways leaders can ensure that their contagious leadership is spreading only good qualities:
Be consistent and predictable. If you want to be trusted, respected and credible, people have to know that they can count on your conduct to always be consistent.
Remain true to your values. Let others know who you are and what you stand for, and lead through your example of living out your values every day. Give people reason to feel good about emulating you.
Evaluate your communications. Leaders communicate a lot, and people are quick to judge those communications as well as the cues they get from body language and nonverbal communication. Think about what you’re saying and—even more important—how you’re saying it.
Show people what’s most important to you. The quickest way to learn what’s important to someone is to see what they give their time to. Ask yourself if you’re spending your time in ways that reflect your values or if you’re sending mixed messages.
Take command of your emotions. If you’re quick to lose your temper, if you yell when things go wrong, if you lose patience easily, you’re sending a message to others that it’s OK—and maybe even expected—to do the same. Don’t let your own behavior validate screaming, tantrums, or abuse. Remember, your emotions have the power to make people comfortable or uncomfortable—which do you want it to be?
Embody positivity. A positive leader means a positive team and positive organization; a negative leader is working to build a team and culture based on negativity.
Treat others the way you want to be treated. Treat people with respect and dignity and they will treat you—and their coworkers—the same.
When you’re a leader, your actions are constantly being watched by others. Ask yourself if you want those you lead to emulate what you do and how you do it. If not, be thoughtful of how you lead and commit to setting a good example.
Lead from within: If you know your leadership is contagious, you’re more likely to exhibit behavior worth catching.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post Your Leadership Is Contagious—Whether You Know It Or Not appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
April 20, 2021
How Leadership Challenges Can Bring Out the Best In You
Being a leader is a challenge in itself. And every leadership role comes with its own set of specific challenges. In my work as a leadership coach I have been able to see a wide range of situations that are especially challenging to leaders. Whatever form a challenge takes, it’s best to approach it as an opportunity for you and your team to excel in a high-profile situation.
Here are some of the most common situations that can give you the opportunity to bring out your best in your leadership and team:
When you’re starting something new. Whether you’re launching a new initiative, creating a new product or hiring new people for leadership, new beginnings are challenging. But they also present a clean slate. Make sure you put in the planning and effort you need up front to ensure the new initiative is successful.
When you’re concluding something. As a venture or working relationship ends, it creates change—and sometimes heightened emotions—that can be difficult to navigate. It’s your role as a leader to tie up loose ends and ensure a smooth transition so everyone can move on successfully.
When you’re planning a change. Organizations, teams and people are constantly changing, and most of the time that’s a good thing. You can’t have growth and improvement without change. But even the most positive change sometimes runs into opposition and defensiveness. Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind, and for people who are fearful by nature that impact takes the form of anxiety. For the hopeful it is encouragement; for the confident it is inspiration. It is the leader’s job to be able to handle these mixed responses with grace while getting people accustomed to the idea of change.
When you’re in transition. It’s one thing to plan for change, but when the actual transformation begins, the prospects are high that your leadership and team will face significant challenges and difficulties. Weathering these times of transition takes confidence, thoughtfulness, and careful communication—including lots of listening. This means that at a time when you’re likely to be distracted by a thousand details, you have to stay mindful of keeping everyone strong and moving forward together. For many leaders, times of transition represent the most significant challenges of their careers.
Whatever the challenge, try to view it as an opportunity for you to bring the best of who you are and what your leadership has to offer. To fully leverage the opportunity you have to acknowledge the attitudes and tendencies that get in your way and work to overcome them, work closely and effectively with your team, and do your part to keep steering the organization in a direction that serves its mission. It all starts with effective leadership.
Lead from within: There will always be challenges, and how you show up as a leader will always make a difference. Make you sure your leadership is bringing out your best so those around you can bring out theirs.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post How Leadership Challenges Can Bring Out the Best In You appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
April 13, 2021
Why Too Much Passion Is Bad For Your Leadership
To keep up with the development and growth of the leaders I coach, I do an annual assessment of their leadership with my clients and with the people they lead. Last year I heard an interesting bit of feedback in one of these sessions: “At times his passion is great, but most of the time it’s overwhelming.”
I’d never before considered the possibility of a leader’s having too much passion. But since then, I’ve taken some time to think about the highly passionate leaders I’ve worked with. And they do seem to share some tendencies that can lead to problems:
They can be overwhelming. As I learned directly, passionate leaders can come across as overwhelming without even realizing it. Their passion and enthusiasm can feel like a burden to people who are struggling to keep up with their pace and level of energy.
They can make everything important. Passionate leaders have a tendency to make everything high priority, and that urgency creates chaos. They may try to make everything urgent—which ironically means nothing can stand out as being important. People need clear priorities.
They can complicate the simplest matter. Passion can drive complexity, complicating things that should be simple. People are thrown off by unnecessary complication.
They can be too intense. People want to feel comfortable around their leader. Intensity can easily cross the border to be disturbing or even frightening.
They aren’t always adaptable. Great leadership is about being adaptable and flexible, able to change course when needed. When passion makes a leader stubborn and unyielding, they’re unable to find new solutions and have difficulty adapting to changing circumstances.
They can be closed-minded. Leaders need to always hold an open mind. They have to be able to listen to others and learn along the way. Sometimes passion leads to the kind of certainty that closes a leader’s mind and shuts others out.
They can be intimidating. Some leaders express their passion by speaking loud and long, which may unnerve people and leave little room for them to express their thoughts.
But here’s the good news: It’s possible for passionate people to lead without being overwhelming, complicating and rigid. The secret is staying attuned to others. To be an effective leader means being able to read the room and meet people where they are—not where you want them to be.
Leaders who are admired for their passion are inclusive. They listen when others speak, they stay flexible and adaptable, and they’re great communicators.
When passionate leadership is about a single-minded perspective and a narrow mindset, it’s likely to go off on the wrong track. But when it’s about making others better, serving the organization and guiding a vision, it can be a source of tremendous strength.
Lead from within: The world needs passionate leaders, but make sure you avoid the traps of overly passionate leadership.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post Why Too Much Passion Is Bad For Your Leadership appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
April 6, 2021
How The Best Leaders Avoid Doing Everyone Else’s Job
A leader I was coaching was always complaining about how busy he was, how he never had enough hours in the day and was always feeling ragged and running late. We worked together to explore how he was spending his time, and we discovered that he was literally doing everyone else’s job on his team. I told him that if he wanted to be a great leader—and reclaim his time—he would have to learn to stop doing other people’s jobs.
Here are some of the mindsets and strategies the best leaders use to avoid (or overcome) this destructive habit:
They allow others to showcase their abilities. An important part of leadership is helping your people grow and develop, and the best leaders allow others to showcase their abilities and expertise without getting in the way. They know that the best way to boost someone’s self-esteem is to trust them to accomplish great things.
They know how to say no. Saying no is a key skill in the workplace, but too often people find it difficult because they’re afraid of being perceived as negative or not a team player. But everyone, including leaders, needs the ability and freedom to say no.
They how to delegate. Too many leaders want to control everything around them, but the best understand the power of delegation. If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself; if you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.
They set boundaries. Effective leaders set consistent healthy boundaries and roles with their team. Of course they pitch in when an extra pair of hands is required, but they know that the best use of their time is being a strategic leader who works hard every day for the good of the team .
They know their limits. Leaders who don’t try to do more than they can effectively take on are demonstrating for their team how to maintain a good balance of responsibility. They understand the strength of their example as a leader.
They know they don’t have to fix everything. Some leaders think their job is to solve everyone’s problems, but that’s not true—or even possible. You can listen to problems without jumping in and trying to fix them. The best leaders listen and empower others to come up with their own solutions. Unless your help is truly required, let them know you believe in them and that’s why you’re getting out of their way.
The best leaders have the ability to inspire confidence in others. Their words and actions are focused on helping those around them grow and achieve. If you stay focused on that principle, you’ll never have to worry about trying to do other people’s jobs.
Lead from within: Be the kind of leader who allows others to learn, grow, and demonstrate what they can do, and people will always strive to bring their best.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post How The Best Leaders Avoid Doing Everyone Else’s Job appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
March 30, 2021
Why You Should Make Personal Development Part Of Your Leadership
Leaders often rely on the skills they trust the most—the things they know they do well. But if you speak to most successful leaders, you’ll discover that they’re constantly pushing themselves in new directions and learning new skills. They make personal development a priority—and if you aren’t doing the same, your leadership is not as effective as it could be.
Think of it this way: if you only keep repeating what you know doing what you know how to do, eventually you’re not going to get the results you need. And with no other resources to turn to, you’ll be stuck.
The only way to really get the best out of who you are and everything you have to offer is to make personal development an ongoing commitment. Make sure you are taking some positive action to improve yourself on a daily and weekly basis.
Here are some of the most important areas you can focus on in your personal development plan:
Keeping an open mind. I have heard leaders say “This is who I am, take it or leave it.” But the best leaders are open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. They’re constantly listening and learning.
Investing in yourself. As a leader you invest in your business, your customers, your clients. So why not invest in yourself? After all, you’re an important asset. Treat your personal development not as a self-indulgence but as something you do for the good of yourself, your team and the organization.
Embodying a positive attitude. The best way to evolve in your leadership is to maintain an attitude of positivity and possibility—to believe in yourself. If you know you can develop and change, you surely will. Attitude is one of the most important elements of growth and personal development.
Accepting responsibility. Too many leaders want to hold everyone accountable but themselves. But passing the buck is poor leadership that leads to poor results and harms your team. If you want to lead successfully, you need to hold yourself accountable for your own choices and development.
Acknowledging your weaknesses. Just as we all have strengths, we all have weaknesses. The better you can understand and acknowledge your own areas of weakness, finding ways to improve upon them and even leverage them into strengths, the better you will evolve as a leader and a person.
Don’t make the mistake of treating personal development as a to-do item, a box to check off and be done with. Think of it instead as an ongoing process in which every encounter and experience offers you a chance to do something better. Every step you take will open new directions for your leadership.
Lead from within: The only thing standing in the way of your becoming the best version of who you are and providing the best leadership you’re capable of is your own willingness and commitment. At the end of the day, the choice will always be yours.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post Why You Should Make Personal Development Part Of Your Leadership appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
