Lolly Daskal's Blog, page 86

How to Increase Your Influence Using 5 Simple Words

 

Words have the power to build people up, hold people back, and break people down. The words you speak as a leader are especially influential, with the ability to empower or disempower others.

Of all the words you can say, five are especially meaningful in terms of influence:

How can I help you?

With those five words you communicate some important principles. Offering to help positions you as a servant leader, and asking how you can help shows respect and gives the other person ownership of their own future. The simple question “How can I help?” is at the core of the most influential things leaders do:

Leading by example. Stand beside those who are working hard and work as hard as they do to demonstrate to them your commitment and determination. Show them by example what it means to invest in yourself so they can follow your lead.

Showing respect. Give those around you the respect they deserve. Self-respect may guide your morals, but the respect for others should guide your behavior. Respect everyone you meet, whether they’re your superiors, your peers or your subordinates.

Spending time. The biggest investment you can make in your people is your time. Spending quality time with people will affect their job performance directly and spreads your influence. Spend time connecting with people as often as you can. Talk to them about topics that aren’t related to work and show genuine interest in them as a person. You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes.

Fostering mentorship. If you really want to help those around you, mentor them in ways that help them feel empowered. Don’t tell them what to do but stand beside them as a support system. Make sure they know you’re available if they need your counsel. Promote them when they deserve it and praise them when they earn it. Put their best interest ahead of yours.

Making resources accessible. Give people the tools they need by ensuring that resources and materials are available to everyone. Nothing is more demoralizing than setting out on a job with enthusiasm only to find that you don’t have everything you need.

Serving with devotion. Be present when you’re with your people—don’t let anything distract you or get in the way. Listen with the intent to learn, ask questions for clarity, and offer support and direction when they’re needed so those who serve you can perform at their highest level.

In everything you do, remember the core attitude: How can I help you? These words have the power to influence those around you, creating a circle of positive change that ripples out far beyond your individual reach. That’s the power of influence, and it starts with five simple words.

Lead from within: To be a truly great leader—one with great influence—you must start from a place of respectful service. Remember that the words you choose contain power, and it’s up to you to choose the type of power you express.

 

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.

buy now

 

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockphotos

The post How to Increase Your Influence Using 5 Simple Words appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

6 Traits You Need to Be a Successful Leader

Through the years, our concept of leadership has evolved—even our ideas of what constitutes a successful leader have changed. But some core traits have withstood the test of time and been embodied by great leaders across time and cultures. These universal traits are generally related to character. Here are six traits required for successful leadership in any era or in any settting:

Authenticity. Any successful leader must cultivate the trait of authenticity by leading with their genuine self. When you are genuine, people can trust who you are as a person and know that you are dependable and truthful. We’re all rightfully wary of leaders who are fake, narcissistic, secretive or self-serving. Under authentic leadership, organizations get stronger, teams get bolder and more effective, and people become better. The best leaders, today and in any era, are authentic; it’s how you connect, build trust, and deepen your relationships for better performance.

Accountability. As leaders continue to face unprecedented change and disruption, it’s clear that they need to be more accountable than ever before, because effective and successful leadership requires real accountability. When you take responsibility seriously, you’re willing to answer for the outcomes of your choices, your behaviors, and your actions in every situation. You own the responsibility, especially when things go badly.

Adeptness. Every leader needs to be competent and capable in many areas. They need to know—or at least be able to learn—a little bit about everything. Gone are the days of getting by with singular expertise; modern leadership requires the diversity and agility that the best leaders have always had. The greater your exposure to various job functions, the easier will be for you to navigate the ever-evolving world of business, adapt to changing demands, and provide beneficial solutions.

Adaptability. Successful leaders know how to adapt to a shifting environment. Being able to modify strategies, systems and processes on the fly is an important skill—doing the same things that always worked before is almost never the best option. Every leader must learn to embrace change. Staying in front of your industry requires flexibility, agility and the ability to adapt quickly to changes in the business, team and environment.

Ambition. Some people are happy to sit back and watch the world go by, while others need to make things happen. Great leaders have a higher level of perseverance and drive than most people, and they can be counted on to get things done because they are determined enough not to let anything get in their way. Plan for the future and have a vision and a road map of where you want your organization to go. Without a defined direction, you’ll have nowhere to lead people to.

Appreciation. One of the most important enduring traits of excellent leadership is appreciation. When a leader shows appreciation to others and recognizes people for their ideas and contributions, it improves their ability to lead. When you make a habit of showing appreciation to each person on your team, you’ll see a significant shift in employee loyalty and production. Leadership has to be earned anew each day.

Lead from within: Leadership lies not in tools or technique but in traits of character. Successful leadership begins from within.

 

 

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.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post 6 Traits You Need to Be a Successful Leader appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

10 Ways Disruption in the Workplace Turns into Dysfunction

Disruption is one of those buzzwords that suddenly started turning up everywhere. In its positive sense of shutting down the status quo and forcing us to look at our processes and values with fresh eyes, it’s a great concept to incorporate into any workplace. But when disruption creates chaos and low morale among your team, it’s taken a wrong turn.

As a business consultant and executive leadership coach, I’ve seen the havoc that dysfunction can leave in its wake. If you see any of these behaviors creeping into your organization, treat them like an invasive species and do whatever it takes to wipe them out before they do lasting damage. Your team and your organization—and you—deserve better.

Disrespect. You can’t force a person to show respect, but you can refuse to have an organization where people are disrespectful. Never allow anyone on your team to yell, scream, insult, mock, or cross other personal boundaries.

Gossip. Nothing turns co-workers against each other faster than gossip. It’s one of the most destructive negative forces in any team, and it’s up to you to set a clear example to your team that it’s not acceptable.

Undermining. When teammates start working against each other, your entire enterprise will suffer. Make sure your policies for things like raises and promotion don’t inadvertently pit people against each other.

Negativity. Even one relentlessly negative person can pull down an entire team. Create a culture so overwhelmingly positive that there’s no room for negativity.

Mistrust. Trust is the core of every great team. Treat it with the care and respect it deserves and never allow mistrust to take hold.

Defensiveness. When people act defensive, it’s often a sign that they feel unsafe. Ask yourself—and your team—what’s going on to make people feel that way.

Unaccountability. When you fail to hold people accountable, you fail to make them responsible. Build accountability into every position and project on your team so it’s not considered optional.

Unproductivity. Getting things done is what being a team member is all about. When you have solid accountability in place, there won’t be any room for unproductivity.

Deflection. If your people are unwilling to take responsibility for their mistakes and blame others, make sure you’re being sufficiently supportive of failure. When people feel secure in taking risks, there’s no need for them to blame others.

Betrayal. An extreme form of dysfunction—if people on your team are experiencing betrayal, you have a lot of work to do.

If any of these disruptions are happening in your organization more than occasionally, it’s likely a problem rooted in the culture. And because culture tends to happen from the top down, look inside your heart and ask yourself where you aren’t setting the example you’d like.

Lead from within: If you want an organization where disruption doesn’t become dysfunction, you need healthy habits—and they must start from the top. Lead by example and let others know what is tolerated and what needs to be eliminated.

 

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.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post 10 Ways Disruption in the Workplace Turns into Dysfunction appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

7 Easy Ways to Support Your Leader

When we speak about leadership, it’s not unusual to discuss the role of a leader in supporting others. But how often do we think about how we can support our leaders?

Few people—if any—have it at the top of their mind, but it only makes sense. Success comes from partnership, collaboration and cooperation, so why should support be a one-way street? Maybe it’s time to start thinking about how you can support your boss, your manager, or your leader. Here are seven easy ways:

Demonstrate loyalty. Loyalty is the ability to put others before yourself and stick with someone through good times and bad. Support your leader as a proud ambassador in public and a champion in private. Be willing to go to extraordinary lengths if necessary to help your leader succeed.

Offer solutions. When things break down, focus on solutions instead of problems; help brainstorm ideas and analyze available options. Find out what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again. Offer suggestions and, if appropriate, roll up your sleeves and help out.

Make information available. Whatever your leader’s style of communication, it’s always best to establish and maintain an open line between you. That means you keep your boss involved and informed and protect them from being blindsided. Summarize complex issues and believe me, your leader will thank you.

Take initiative. There are always numerous ways of going above and beyond at work. Look for challenges that stretch you and increase your competency. Try to anticipate what your boss might require or request and prepare it in advance.

Be reliable. We usually make promises with the best intentions of keeping them, but sometimes due to either external circumstances or internal shortcomings, we end up not honoring those promises. If your boss knows you’re someone who can be counted on, you’ll not only be supporting them in an important way but also helping yourself stand out.

Sweat the small stuff. Support your boss by getting ahead of deadlines. Don’t make them ever have to spend a moment reminding you of something or checking on your work. Simply doing your job consistently well turns out to be a huge help.

Treat your boss with respect. Respect your boss’s time and avoid unnecessary interruptions. Respect at work fuels the interplay between your independence as a professional and a healthy interdependence with your boss—one where you rely on each other for success at work.

Lead from within: You can’t achieve anything by yourself, and every leader needs a support system.

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.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStock Photo

The post 7 Easy Ways to Support Your Leader appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How to Get Along with Negative People

Negative people show up in our professional and personal lives on a regular basis. There never seems to be a shortage of negativity.

We all know people who are hard to deal with because of their negativity. Some are too demanding or abrasive. Others may be arrogant or emotionally abusive.

Whatever form their negativity takes, it makes communication stressful, and a wrong approach can make matters even worse.

Most of the time, we can’t choose whom we do business with. But we can choose how to interact with them. Over my three decades of experience as an executive leadership coach, I have been helping my clients learn how to get along with everyone they encounter, even those who are so negative they’re downright toxic.

Some of the best ideas to come out of those discussions are listed here. They can help you improve your relationships with the negative people in your life—or at least co-exist with them with less stress and conflict.

Treat people the way you want to be treated. Regardless of how negative they go, always be kind. Sometimes a relationship with a negative person can be improved with a little bit of kindness. Smile at them or saying hello when you see them. Being friendly isn’t a sign of weakness but of strength and confidence.

Don’t take it personally. When you encounter negative people, remember not to take their negativity personally. The issue isn’t you; it’s their attitude. If you can stay connected to that truth it will make their negativity easier to handle.

Don’t get defensive. When dealing with a negative person it’s important to stay calm. Keep your body language and the tone of your voice under control. Think about what you’re going to say and what your goal for the conversation is, and don’t react impulsively if other person offends you.

Avoid arguments. If possible, don’t disagree with negative people. Find ways to be agreeable or to ignore them. Arguing will only get you emotionally invested in the situation and trigger your fight-or-flight responses, making it harder for you to think clearly and respond appropriately.

Keep your cool. Stay calm and rational, avoid the temptation to score rhetorical points, and refuse to be drawn into a battle you don’t want to fight. You’re much more likely to reach a satisfactory outcome if you can stay calm, cool and collected.

Draw attention to the positive. Most people have at least a few redeeming traits, so try to find something good. If there’s something the person does well, concentrate on that. Choose to go positive no matter how negative they are.

Focus on the issue, not the person. Focus on the problem, the task, the project, the issue that you have to solve or discuss rather than the person you are dealing with. This helps prevent the conversation from escalating into personal attacks and may lead to more positive attitudes all around.

Lead from within: You always have control. You always have a choice. You can choose to allow negativity to run over you or to learn the best way to handle it.

 

 

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.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStock Photos

The post How to Get Along with Negative People appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

The Surprising Truth About Leadership

There’s a common thread in top leadership that surprises most people—and in some cases makes them rethink what they know about leadership.

When you think of successful leaders you probably think of people who are decisive. The ability to make a decision quickly and without waffling is one of the keystones of leadership.

But leaders change their minds every day, even at the risk of being branded indecisive or a waffler. Here’s the difference: They don’t back off a decision just because they have second thoughts. They understand when a change of plan is warranted. And sometimes they take decisive action by reversing their earlier decision.

Here are some of the top circumstances when the best practice is to reconsider a decision:

New information emerges. Sometimes new information shows up that changes the context of a decision entirely. It may be something that was impossible to foresee, or it may be something you or your team failed to pick up on. When that happens, don’t think in terms of blame but take the new information and integrate it into the decision-making process. Later you can revisit ways to make sure your research is thorough.

The situation becomes unpredictable or unstable. In today’s uncertain marketplace and political climate, situations can go from stable to chaotic in the blink of an eye. When that happens, it’s wise to reassess decisions that are influenced by the instability and change position if need be. There’s no virtue in steadfastly sticking to a position when everything around you has changed.

Feedback suggests it. A bold decision may be theoretically sound, but sometimes in the light of day it turns out to be unworkable in practice. If early feedback suggests that a plan isn’t working—for whatever reason—it’s wise to listen and make changes where necessary. Always listen to those who know best: those who are out in the field every day, whether team members or clients.

It’s time to wait. Once you’re into the thick of something, the clear choice may be to do nothing at all for now. It’s not a matter of reversing a decision in this case, but of delaying its implementation until conditions improve or the surrounding issues become clearer. Despite the pressure leaders feel to be bold and act decisively, doing nothing is preferable to making a disastrous choice. If waiting can give you an edge, wait.

Let’s honor those leaders who are forward-thinking enough to correct their course, pivot or wait even though they risk their reputations by having people think they are indecisive. Sometimes you need to change your mind, and that’s OK.

Lead from within: Successful leaders are able to make shifts in their thinking because they never stop looking for ways to improve the end result.

 

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.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post The Surprising Truth About Leadership appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

One Important Way to Enjoy Your Leadership (and Life) More

For leaders everywhere life can sometimes feel like a barrage of responsibilities, commitments, and things to do. It’s easy to allow them to weigh you down, and at times they can even get in the way of your sense of enjoyment. That’s why one of the important things you can do as a leader, is to throw away the words should, could and must.

The next time you begin a sentence with one of these words, be aware that you’re implicitly reinforcing the idea that you’re not enough.

If you say to yourself “I should really work harder,” there’s an unspoken follow-up: “ . . . but I don’t.”

If you say, “I could be doing more,” the unspoken thought becomes “ . . . and I’m not doing enough.”

And if you say, “I must spend more time at the office,” the unspoken ending is “ . . . I’m not spending enough time there now.”

These phrases all have a way of making you feel inadequate by reinforcing a negative.

Next time, counteract the tendency to underrate yourself by thinking the following:

Focus on your values. What’s most important to you? What do you stand for? What are your core beliefs and principles? And, based on those answers, what do you want? When you focus on your values instead of somebody else’s priorities, it becomes easier to define the best direction for yourself. When you say no to things that matter to others, you’re free to say yes to the things that matter to you.

Focus on what motivates you. Those could, should, must phrases are disempowering and demotivating because they’re focused on external motivation. Think in terms of your own goals and motivations, and replace could, should, must with can, want, will.

Focus on being authentic. How many people on their deathbed think, “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me”?  The more you live your life and leadership on your own terms, the more content—and productive and successful—you will be.

Focus on what you’ve done. Instead of thinking about what you haven’t yet done, think about what you’ve accomplished already—and be as positive and supportive as you would with a friend. Give yourself permission to say “that’s enough” before you burn out or stop enjoying something you love to do. Appreciate all that you do and be present in every moment of your life.

Lead from within: If you want to enjoy your leadership and life more, it is important to replace should, could and must with a dialogue that will lead to a kinder relationship with yourself and those around you.

 

 

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.

buy now

 

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStock Photos

The post One Important Way to Enjoy Your Leadership (and Life) More appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

7 Powerful Reasons Why Smart People Doubt Themselves

Almost everyone struggles with self-doubt at some point or another. And almost everyone thinks they’re the only one who does.

It’s freeing to know that self-doubt is a near-universal feeling. If anything, it’s the smartest people who doubt themselves the most. Here are some of the ways smart people give self-doubt a chance to take root:

They focus on the things they don’t know instead of what they do. Everyone needs to stretch out of their comfort zone, but if you spend most of your time working outside your expertise you’re likely to end up doubting yourself.

They tell themselves that others have more experience. Even if you aren’t the most experienced, if you have a skill or knowledge they lack, you’re the expert. Allowing yourself to believe that what you know is valuable and useful will give you the assurance you need.

They don’t believe they have the right skills. You have to start somewhere—whether it’s your first job or reinventing your career in a new industry. Virtually no one has all the skills required for being a great leader right from the start. Learning the skills you need in your current situation gives you power—and makes you a smart leader.

They care too much about what other people think. It’s easy to get stuck on what people tell you about yourself. If you focus too much on what other people think, you’ll never learn to think for yourself—and about yourself—on your own. Stop worrying what other people think and concentrate on doing your best.

They fear they’re not good enough. Especially when you’re faced with something new, you may experience a fear that you’re not good enough for the task at hand. This inner voice is your mind trying to protect you, but you don’t need protection. You just need to know you are good as you need to be, and then take a chance.

They allow a past mistake to loom over the present. Mistakes—especially those with lasting consequences—often leave people seriously doubting their abilities. Allow those mistakes to become learning lessons for the present and the future without dwelling on them. Sometimes things have to fall apart before they can be put back together.

They’re busy competing with everyone else. It’s always tempting to compare yourself with colleagues, but it’s much more productive—and healthier—to take stock of who you are and what you’re good at. Remember that you have strengths other people don’t possess and that the only person you can truly compete with is yourself.

As a coach, I define confidence as believing you are able and competence as knowing you are able. When you know you’re able, you can take action regardless of self-doubt. You can’t live your life for other people. You’ve got to do what’s right for you.

Lead from within: Even the smartest people need to remember that when they doubt their power, their doubt can be powerful.

 

 

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.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post 7 Powerful Reasons Why Smart People Doubt Themselves appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

7 Powerful Reasons Smart People Doubt Themselves

Almost everyone struggles with self-doubt at some point or another. And almost everyone thinks they’re the only one who does.

It’s freeing to know that self-doubt is a near-universal feeling. If anything, it’s the smartest people who doubt themselves the most. Here are some of the ways smart people give self-doubt a chance to take root:

They focus on the things they don’t know instead of what they do. Everyone needs to stretch out of their comfort zone, but if you spend most of your time working outside your expertise you’re likely to end up doubting yourself.

They tell themselves that others have more experience. Even if you aren’t the most experienced, if you have a skill or knowledge they lack, you’re the expert. Allowing yourself to believe that what you know is valuable and useful will give you the assurance you need.

They don’t believe they have the right skills. You have to start somewhere—whether it’s your first job or reinventing your career in a new industry. Virtually no one has all the skills required for being a great leader right from the start. Learning the skills you need in your current situation gives you power—and makes you a smart leader.

They care too much about what other people think. It’s easy to get stuck on what people tell you about yourself. If you focus too much on what other people think, you’ll never learn to think for yourself—and about yourself—on your own. Stop worrying what other people think and concentrate on doing your best.

They fear they’re not good enough. Especially when you’re faced with something new, you may experience a fear that you’re not good enough for the task at hand. This inner voice is your mind trying to protect you, but you don’t need protection. You just need to know you are good as you need to be, and then take a chance.

They allow a past mistake to loom over the present. Mistakes—especially those with lasting consequences—often leave people seriously doubting their abilities. Allow those mistakes to become learning lessons for the present and the future without dwelling on them. Sometimes things have to fall apart before they can be put back together.

They’re busy competing with everyone else. It’s always tempting to compare yourself with colleagues, but it’s much more productive—and healthier—to take stock of who you are and what you’re good at. Remember that you have strengths other people don’t possess and that the only person you can truly compete with is yourself.

As a coach, I define confidence as believing you are able and competence as knowing you are able. When you know you’re able, you can take action regardless of self-doubt. You can’t live your life for other people. You’ve got to do what’s right for you.

Lead from within: Even the smartest people need to remember that when they doubt their power, their doubt can be powerful.

 

 

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.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post 7 Powerful Reasons Smart People Doubt Themselves appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How to Recover After a Deadly Leadership Mistake

Anyone who has been in a leadership position for more than a day has made a mistake. Mistakes come with being human. Fortunately, they rarely do lasting damage, and ven the worst mistakes don’t have to tarnish your reputation as a leader. Here are some powerful suggestions for things you can do to recover after a serious mistake:

Acknowledge the mistake. Own it. Don’t pretend it didn’t happen, don’t make excuses, don’t try to place the blame on anyone else. The important thing is to acknowledge it quickly before people make judgments about your competence or expertise. You need to get on top of it, get ahead of it, and deal with it. The sooner you acknowledge you’ve made a mistake and you accept the consequences, the more respect and support you will retain.

Communicate immediately. When a mistake happens, you have to let those who are affected know immediately. Don’t let too much time pass—the longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes. Don’t go into tedious detail, but let them know what happened, how it happened, and as much as you know about how you plan to make it right and keep it from happening again. By giving people advance notice, you can often manage the situation and avoid further damage.

Stop the bleeding. Whatever the circumstances, one of your top priorities should be to do everything you can to prevent further damage. If relationships are in danger, apologize quickly. If there are financial issues involved, recover as much as you can as quickly as you can. Look at every affected area and move to protect anything that the damage hasn’t reached.

Next steps. Part of recovering from a deadly mistake is not letting your mistakes define you or make you afraid of taking chances again. Focus on solutions and don’t allow things to fester or leave it for someone else to clean up your mess. Show those around you that they can count on your leadership even in the worst times. Do everything you can to steer the recovery toward the best possible outcome, then put it behind you and focus on the future.

Demonstrate that you’ve learned from the experience. Making a mistake is never a good thing, but very few things in life are 100 percent negative. Every mistake—even the worst—has something to teach us, and you can show up differently next time by showing that you’ve grown. If you’re going to pay the price for the mistake, you might as well benefit from the learning that comes with it. Mistakes play a critical role in leadership development because they teach you how to deal with situations that don’t go your way and they show you can change.

Lead from within: The most useful thing you can do is translate a deadly mistake into a valuable moment of leadership development.

 

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.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post How to Recover After a Deadly Leadership Mistake appeared first on Lolly Daskal.