When a new year begins, it is always a great time to get a fresh start, look forward to change, and make positive adjustments in the routine to improve life. People also feel this is an excellent time to boost their leadership skills. But I would like to invite you to step back from the “do” and start thinking first about who you want to become.
Instead of starting with “do” goals, I encourage you to create “who” plans this year. The main question you should ask yourself is: who do you want to be as a leader? Based on who you want to become, I suggest you ask yourself the second question: what do you need to do to become the person you want to be?
In this article, I will propose five steps you can follow to get your best year of leadership.
1. Be Disciplined
Successful initiatives don’t start with significant steps. The small and consistent things that people don’t see create the results that inspire everyone.
The gap between what you want and what you achieve is closed by discipline.
Being disciplined is extremely hard, but choose the pain of discipline over regret. As a leader, ask yourself, “What discipline do I need to start?”. Remember, you don’t need to make wild changes in your daily routine. Small and consistent actions create the change that enables you to get closer to your pursuits.
2. Be Mindful about your energy
As a leader, you want to deliver more results and grow your organization every year. Now, what I will say seems counterintuitive, but you must do less to achieve more.
The key is not about doing more; it’s about doing more of what matters most. Consider what you need to stop doing at work to have more time to reach truly significant milestones.
3. Be someone who emancipates people
This advice is tightly linked with the 2#. You can only do strategic, high-impact work when you know your team can cope with daily activities. And the best way to assure people have the knowledge to handle the work is by giving them the freedom to take the lead and execute the most common activities you executive in your department.
As a leader, you are not expected to build something impactful alone. You need to develop people and, together, you will create something extraordinary. Ask yourself, “What people should I emancipate in my organization this year?” and “What are the things I am holding the responsibility to myself that I can delegate to others?”
4. Build good work relationships
You should care a lot about your relationships.
Jim Rohn, a famously motivational speaker, said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.This statement relates to the law of averages, which is the theory that proposes the result of any given situation will be the average of all outcomes. Considering this theory, it is essential to pay attention to who surrounds you.
Find great people anywhere! Reach out to people who challenge you, push you and sometimes confuse you. You could learn a lot from someone in a different field or who thinks differently from you. Leadership principles like success, discipline, and innovation are universal.
5. Take risks
Innovation and risks walk together! It’s not possible to achieve greatness by playing it safe! In order to change who you are you need to change what you do! Now is the right time to take risks.
What ideas do you have? Do you have a dream, a hunch, or a theory you’d like to try? It’s time to take a risk! If you wait until you are ready, you will always be too late.
I encourage you to create a plan for your intentions in 2022. Make sure your project includes what you desire to do this year and how you will achieve it. Remember: if you want a better outcome, create a better system.
You don’t have to know it all to be a great leader! Be yourself. Leadership is also a craft we are all learning. People prefer to follow someone honest than one who is always right.
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