#Beingaleader means you need to choose peace. Note that I didn't say 'have a peaceful circumstance'. Peace is less about the circumstances you find yourself in. But rather, peace is a state of mind. A place of being. The place you should want to live your real life. Less about the absence of conflict and … Continue reading Peace
Joy
#Beingaleader means you need to have joy. Joy in what you do. Joy in who you do it with. Joy about the future and the impact you are having. Many people when they see or hear the word "joy" equate it to happiness. The problem is that happiness is an emotion based upon the circumstances … Continue reading Joy
Love
#Beingaleader means you need to love. What you do. Who you do it with. The goals you are trying to reach. It is outward focused. I have previously written on "Love" but from a parenting perspective towards your family https://beingaleader.blog/2019/06/04/its-love-stupid/. However, today the focus is on those you work with. Today is the 80th Anniversary … Continue reading Love
Hope
#Beingaleader means you need to have hope. Hope for yourself. Hope for your team. Hope for the future. Not hope in. Hope for. Hope is placed on something or someone outside of yourself and your circumstance that you can know is going to change everything. Hope is more than being positive about life or the … Continue reading Hope
Thankful
#Beingaleader means you need to be thankful. Thankful for others. Thankful for your team's successes. Thankful for the things that brought you to where you are today. Even the hard things. And train others to do the same. Being thankful is being "conscious of benefits received." So the most important step is to be conscious … Continue reading Thankful
Steady
#Beingaleader means you need to be a steady leader. A steady person. Steady means you are consistent but it is more than just consistent. Steady means you are a rock during a tempest. Steady means you will always be there. That you don't run from a fight. That while others go up and down with … Continue reading Steady
Patience
#Beingaleader means you have to exhibit patience. Patience is defined as more than waiting (https://beingaleader.blog/2021/02/02/waiting/). Patience is more what you do with the waiting. It is defined as 'the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.' So, while many people might be okay with waiting, they aren't very … Continue reading Patience
Seasons
#Beingaleader means you need to understand the seasons. Seasons in your leadership. Start up energy. Sustainment. Longevity. Expertise. Training others. Passing it along to others. There are many different seasons in your leadership life. Sometimes you repeat seasons (new adventures etc.) But over the long haul of your leadership life you move from that energetic … Continue reading Seasons
Vision
#Beingaleader means you already have vision. The ability to see what's going on now. The ability to see and think about what could be in the future. And, often, even the steps and the people needed to get there. But it's much more than that. #Beingaleader also means you need to be able to communicate … Continue reading Vision
Spending
#Beingaleader means you need to understand the importance of spending. Specifically, money. Spending to make things happen that need to happen. Spending to procure the right talent. Spending to make progress on your project. Too many leaders are spendthrifts and therefore not wise with money. Read that again. How can it be wrong to save … Continue reading Spending
Team
#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
“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
Ordinary
#Beingaleader means you understand that the ordinary matters. The consistent matters. The regular matters. These are the things that make up your life and they are what make your leadership matter. The ordinary. We have been led to believe in books we read and in shows we watch that only the spectacular matters. The "significant" … Continue reading Ordinary
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
Virtual
#Beingaleader in today's world means you have to lead virtually. Zoom. Email. Focused on the task but also building the culture you want. In the cloud. "Seeing" them but not really. Working on the tone of your emails to stop or at least not start, misunderstandings. #Beingaleader means you have to learn to lead virtually. … Continue reading Virtual
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
