#Beingaleader means you have a team. Not just followers. A team. I did a quick search of my previous blogs and found that I have mentioned "team" over 20 times and "followers" only 3 times. That's one indication that shows the importance of team. But I haven't specifically talked about having a team and why … Continue reading Team
Category: Belief Breakthrough
“Good” Leader
#Beingaleader means you should want to be a "good" leader. But how is "good" defined and how do you achieve it? So and so is a "good" leader. What do you mean by that? Is it their character? Personality? How they treat others? Skill set? Compassion? Attitude? Yes to all. Someone can be an effective … Continue reading “Good” Leader
Power
Whether you like it or not, #Beingaleader means you wield some power. From your position. From your followers. From your experience. Even from your presence. How you use that power will determine what kind of leader you will be and how worthy you are of those followers. Power is an interesting thing. There is an … Continue reading Power
Birth
#Beingaleader means you need to give birth. To new ideas. To new projects. But most importantly to new leaders. #Beingaleader means you need to be birthing and growing new leaders. Do not let the knowledge, experiences and lessons you have learned be lost when you are gone. Pass them on. Birth new leaders. In your … Continue reading Birth
Goodbyes
#Beingaleader means your life can be full of goodbyes. To people. To projects. Nothing seems to last forever. This week was full of goodbyes. A belated goodbye to a father who's life we could not previously celebrate together as a family due to borders being closed. A goodbye to a mother who we might never … Continue reading Goodbyes
Frustration
#Beingaleader means you can feel a lot of frustration. At yourself. At others. At circumstances. At the inability to do things better or change an outcome. It's just frustrating how some people act or don't learn or don't care. Frustration. So how do you deal with frustration? Do you let it consume you? Do you … Continue reading Frustration
ROI
#Beingaleader means you seek ROI (Return on Investment). ROI is usually calculated as the difference between your initial investment and your end result. Your return. What came back to you as a result of what you sent out. True with money and other financial situations. True also with leadership. So what is ROI in leadership … Continue reading ROI
Sustainability
#Beingaleader means you need to have sustainability. Sustainable is avoiding depletion. For the long haul. Regenerating. Healthy. We often hear the term used in reference to the environment or a particular product that is being touted. But sustainability is important for the leader too. You must prepare for the long haul. The adversity. The challenges. … Continue reading Sustainability
Satisfied
#Beingaleader means you have times where you are satisfied. Where you are at. Where the team is at. With life. Satisfied. Yes it's important to keep striving. Yes it's important to keep pushing. But if you never stop and let yourself be satisfied with where you're currently at, then what are you pursuing? Is it … Continue reading Satisfied
Baggage
#Beingaleader means you have to deal with baggage. Sometimes your own. Sometimes others'. Either way you need to know how to deal with it or get rid of it before it drags you down. What does your baggage look like? Is it emotional? Bad experiences? Each one of us is a compilation of experiences, good … Continue reading Baggage
Title
#Beingaleader does not mean you will always have a title. Nor should you think that having such a title means that you are a leader. Nor should it be your goal. A title is bestowed. Leadership is learned and earned. Being named CEO doesn't make you a leader. Nor does Group Leader, Doctor, Colonel, Pastor, … Continue reading Title
Generous
#Beingaleader means you need to be generous. With your time. With your money. With your praise. So what does being generous with your time mean? It means giving of yourself whenever possible to help others achieve their goals or the goals of the team. It means you show up when the team shows up. It … Continue reading Generous
Fun?
Can #Beingaleader be fun? Can it give you energy and not just take it? Can it be what gives you life and not just have it take it from you on a regular basis? Can it give you pleasure? A sense of satisfaction? Something that propels you forward in a positive manner? We talk a … Continue reading Fun?
Independent
#Beingaleader means you have to think independently. It means you have to come up with solutions and ideas based upon your experience and calculated risk level that perhaps others are unable or unwilling to think about. Everything you go through as a leader is preparing you for the future decisions you will have to make. … Continue reading Independent
Re-Think
#Beingaleader means you have to re-think things all the time. Look at situations from new angles. Allow your mind to imagine things that aren't there yet. Re-imagine. Re-tool. Be careful about getting stuck in the 'right' way of thinking (i.e., your way). Allow yourself time and space to re-think things. This takes time set aside … Continue reading Re-Think
Timing – Redux
I have dealt with issue once before https://beingaleader.blog/2019/12/03/timing/ but I have found it is a critical issue that needs re-raising. #Beingaleader means you need to understand the concept of timing. Knowing that you need to do something is not the last step in the process. You need to know when. When to move on from … Continue reading Timing – Redux
Bully
#Beingaleader means you are not a bully. You cannot be a bully and still be a true leader. A bully is defined as someone who uses fear and intimidation to get their way. Whether through shouting or threats or other forms. I'm less interested in whether you've experienced this (I have) but rather whether you … Continue reading Bully
Healthy
#Beingaleader means you need to stay healthy. In your mindset. In your relationships. And in your environment. #Beingaleader means you need to stay healthy in your mindset. Your attitude or mindset is so critically important that you must protect it from anything that would try to get you down. The keys to being successful in … Continue reading Healthy
Juggling
#Beingaleader means you have to juggle. Spin a lot of plates. Multi-task. The key is to keep your focus while all around you is spinning furiously. Whether parenting or running a business or leading a project. You are seemingly never able to focus on just one thing at a time. How do you maintain you … Continue reading Juggling
Confidence
#Beingaleader means you need confidence. In yourself. In your team. In the future. Confidence in your abilities. Your decision making. #Beingaleader means you need to teach yourself to be confident in who you are and what abilities you have learned and are learning. Confidence. Not arrogance. It's not about other people or a comparison to … Continue reading Confidence
Real
#Beingaleader means you need to be real. As in "not fake". Authentic. Be yourself. Lead the way you lead. Learn principles from others but don't try to copy them with mannerisms or style. Let your personality and character shine through. Be who you were created to be. Be real. Being real will create a level … Continue reading Real
Repeat. Repeat.
#Beingaleader means you have to repeat yourself. Often. What that means is you have to repeat yourself. Often. Your team is unlikely to get it the first time. Or the second. Or perhaps even the third time. You have to repeat yourself. Often. It's because #Beingaleader involves a lot of communication. Communication is fraught with … Continue reading Repeat. Repeat.
Compliment
#Beingaleader means you need to learn to compliment others. Compliments that focus on success. Compliments that are frequent. And ones that are done intentionally. #Beingaleader means that your compliments should focus on success. The success of your team member or your child. Everyone seems to receive an abundance of negative feedback whether intentional or unintentional. … Continue reading Compliment
Challenge
#Beingaleader means you have to challenge your team. To see things they can't see. To achieve more than they think possible. To help them win when it seems impossible. #Beingaleader means you need to challenge your team to see things they can't see. You are the one seeing the vision. Oftentimes you can challenge your … Continue reading Challenge
Boundaries
#Beingaleader means you need to have boundaries. Boundaries from one area of your life to another. Something that separates out your mind, your energy and/or your time from one activity to another. Something that separates work from family, recreation from projects etc. In the area of work, this has proven to be the hardest thing … Continue reading Boundaries
Friends
One of the downsides to #Beingaleader can be the feeling that you cannot have real friends. We have colleagues. We have followers. But not many friends. Oftentimes, leaders shy away from having friends for some reason or another but it is to their disadvantage to do so. In fact, you need friends more than anyone … Continue reading Friends
Motivate
#Beingaleader means you have to motivate yourself. Again and again. To do the things that need to be done. To do the things you may not want to do. To set yourself on the path to success. There is no easy success. And often it is not flashy. Sort of like raising a child. It's … Continue reading Motivate
Coach
#Beingaleader means you are a coach. Someone who raises others up. Someone who encourages growth. And provides honest feedback. #Beingaleader means you raise others up. To make them reach their heights. Their goals. To make them better for having known you. The goal of @Beingaleader is to make leaders of those on your team. To … Continue reading Coach
Safe
#Beingaleader means you need to make your team feel safe. That sense of trust in your judgment. In the "ok-ness" of making mistakes. And the celebration of success. #Beingaleader means that your team needs to feel safe in your judgment. Do you have a track record of making right decisions? Does your team trust that … Continue reading Safe
Stop
Stop #Beingaleader. Every once in a while to see what impact you are having on others or yourself. Not just to refresh. But to reflect. Am I making a difference? Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing? What I was made for?Can you imagine just going to work? Just attending church? Just … Continue reading Stop
Show Up
#Beingaleader means you need to show up. Physically. Emotionally. And for them. #Beingaleader means you need to show up physically. People need to see you. To see what you value. To encourage them to show up as well. To set the standard. Whatever you want to call it, it means that you can't hide for … Continue reading Show Up
Burnout
#Beingaleader means at some point you may come fact to face with the possibility of burnout. Exhausted. At the brink. Not wanting to keep going. Today's topic is not so much about how to deal with burnout once it happens but rather how to avoid burnout in the first place. Today we will focus on … Continue reading Burnout
Pause
#Beingaleader means you need to learn to pause. Pause before you respond. Pause before you react. Pause to allow all the facts to emerge. #Beingaleader means you need to learn to pause before you respond. We live in a culture that seems to require us to have an opinion. About everything. It's not just that … Continue reading Pause
Standards
#Beingaleader means that you need standards. Standards for your team. Standards for others. Standards for your life. A measuring stick for how you act, how they act and what is acceptable in your life. #Beingaleader means that you have standards for your team. Standards they know about and must follow. Whether it's for a product, … Continue reading Standards
Waiting
#Beingaleader means you need to get good at waiting. Waiting on others. Waiting for movement. Waiting for success. But not just waiting in an idle sense. Active waiting is what's called for. Waiting on the results but actively moving towards your goal. #Beingaleader means you need to get good at waiting on others. To complete … Continue reading Waiting
Dare
#Beingaleader means you have to dare. Dare to try. Dare to dream. Dare to be you. #Beingaleader means you have to dare to try. To experiment. To do something new. Regardless of potential for success sometimes you have to just try. It's important to try new angles and new approaches to see if you're able … Continue reading Dare
Restraint
#Beingaleader means you sometimes have to show restraint to your team. Restraint of words. Restraint of emotion. Restraint of self. #Beingaleader means you need to restrain your words. Just because you think it doesn't mean you should say it. Too many words are said out of emotion whether verbally or in an email. Some say … Continue reading Restraint
Control
#Beingaleader does not mean you are in control. Control is an illusion. If you think otherwise, you are probably delusional. And you probably have less control than you think. You can't control your team, your project's outcome or how people react to you. #Beingaleader does not mean you can control your team. You can do … Continue reading Control
New Day
#Beingaleader means you need to take opportunities for starting over. For a new day. Whether it's the beginning of a new project, the start of a new team, or the beginning of a new year. It's fresh. And full of opportunities. What's it like to start with a new canvas? A clean slate? The key … Continue reading New Day
Incrementalism
#Beingaleader means you have to learn about incrementalism: taking steps in a direction. For growth, for products and for progress on change. #Beingaleader means you should be taking steps for growth. Oftentimes, small steps. But still heading in the direction you want to go. Don't let impatience take away from evaluating the success you are … Continue reading Incrementalism
Testing
#Beingaleader means that you will go through testing. Physical testing. Testing by pressure. Spiritual testing. #Beingaleader means that you will experience physical testing: about your abilities and stamina. By the very nature of #Beingaleader, you will have your abilities and stamina tested. Are you able to take what you've learned in one circumstance and apply … Continue reading Testing
Loss
#Beingaleader does not make you immune to loss. In some cases, you will experience it deeper and more profoundly than others as you carry the burden not just for yourself but for your team as well whenever there is a loss. A loss of a project. Loss of a team member. Loss of valuation. You … Continue reading Loss
Influence
#Beingaleader means you are a person of influence. Influence is having the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something. People are looking for leaders with positive influence, coordinated influence, and impactful influence. #Beingaleader means you need to exert positive influence. Influence can be used both for positive … Continue reading Influence
Remember
#Beingaleader means you need to take time to remember. The good. The bad. Successes. Failures. What worked and what didn't. All are lessons you can learn from for the future. This is blog #100 for me. So I wanted to take a moment and remember almost 2 years of intentional weekly writing with the focus … Continue reading Remember
Adapt
#Beingaleader means you have to adapt. Become adjusted to new conditions. Make changes on the fly. And recognize that while you are adapting to your own new things so too must you adapt to the changes that others are experiencing on your team. #Beingaleader means you have to adjust to new conditions. Things change. All … Continue reading Adapt
Feelings
#Beingaleader means you should not be driven or swayed by feelings. Yours or theirs. Good or bad. Don't let them control you or take you places you do not want to go or that undermine your vision or your destination for your team. #Beingaleader means you shouldn't be driven by your feelings. You are human … Continue reading Feelings
Value
#Beingaleader means you are bringing value to your clients, customers and team. The value of product. The value of time. The value of cost. #Beingaleader means you bring the value of product or process to your clients, customers and team. If your product or process is not continually improving then you are going backwards. You … Continue reading Value
PTO
#Beingaleader means you need to take paid time off (PTO) - vacation, holidays, a break, sabbatical or whatever you might call it. It's important for your longevity and sharpness. I see too many leaders who cannot disconnect. They don't allow for time to rejuvenate or to give themselves time to clear their mind. This will … Continue reading PTO
Unstoppable
#Beingaleader means you are unstoppable. In forward progress. In desire to achieve. In conviction. #Beingaleader means you have unstoppable forward progress. A leader is always moving. You just can't keep them down for long. Maybe two steps back but always three steps forward. Always forward progress. Thinking ahead. Taking steps. Pushing forward. #Beingaleader means you … Continue reading Unstoppable
Remember to Lead you
#Beingaleader means you need to remember to lead you. I started out writing my blog (see https://beingaleader.blog/2019/01/08/leading-you/) on the topic of Leading you. Specifically, I touched on learning from others. You should continue to do so. But you also have to learn from you. Your past experience. Mistakes you've made. Things you got right. Keep … Continue reading Remember to Lead you
