Leadership Wisdom That Never Grows Old
Before I jump into today’s blog post, I have two opportunities to share with you…
The Women of Community Impact will be kicking off our Coffee & Connections monthly series for 2022 this morning at 9:00 am. You don’t want to miss today’s event, featuring Becky Ruland, founder and CEO of International Networx, who will be joining us live from Ukraine to talk about her work getting women out of Ukraine to safety. We will also introduce our founders, board members, community business partners, and presenting sponsors for 2022, sharing our goals and visions for serving our community, and discussing fourth quarter service projects. We will have breakout networking sessions so you can build relationships, collaboration, and camaraderie with like-minded leaders from across the country. To join us, email info@thewomenofcommunityimpact.com.
Also, on September 13th at 5 pm, the Building Your Legacy Business radio show will feature Bill Courtright, Business Development Director at Digital Media Nation to discuss our topic, The 4th Quarter Mentality: The Mindset of a Winner. Livestream our conversation at wcegtalkradio.com.
Now, onto today’s blog post …
You know what they say: the more things change, the more they stay the same.
We live in an age where there are daily advancements in psychology, brain science, and the study of what makes people behave in the ways they do. Each week without fail, new books are published that bring fresh thinking and new ideas to business, leadership development, and personal achievement.
But at the same time, the fundamentals of what makes a good leader have not changed much over the years. There is still much to learn from rock solid wisdom that leaders across the business world have long known.
Even within fast-paced industries like technology, engineering, and medicine, professionals who manage others come back to age-old principles that we can all learn from. Across business journalism and through the decades, the same ideas come up over and over again.
So today, I want to share 6 smart actions that the best leaders have long utilized that can improve your leadership skills.
1. Bring people together using an aspirational vision.
Leaders create a clear vision in their minds of where they want to go. Then they unite others in service of that vision. This requires knowing what you stand for and do not stand for, what your values are – both personally and as an organization, and having the ability to clearly communicate your vision, values, and mission to the people you lead.
2. Create strategies for achieving the shared vision.
This is the point when you present a challenge to the people you lead to bring your vision to reality. You ask them to develop strategies that will achieve goals toward your vision, and then work with them to hone those strategies as needed.
While your role is the pig picture, it’s important that you keep the small details in mind so that you can serve those you lead. Often, leaders need to provide input on where to focus efforts, how to utilize resources, and how to manage the people they lead.
3. Develop talent who will implement the strategies.
You know who your best people are. The question is are you fully utilizing them to bring about change, fulfill their commitments, and achieve the criteria you’ve set? This is the crux of leadership.
It’s also where you find you have to have challenging conversations with people who are not working in service toward your vision. Support their development honestly and kindly, even as you push them toward improvement.
4. Keep focus on RESULTS toward the strategies.
Relentlessly tracking your results is the way that you’ll know if a) the strategies you have set are in service toward your vision, and b) how successful you are at achieving that vision.
This is the part where you measure your sales and marketing efforts, seek feedback, learn from what’s not working, assess and reassess, and in all things and at all times improve what you do.
5. Create a culture that innovates in order to achieve the strategies.
Do you encourage your team to brainstorm problem-solving, test new ideas, expand your market or your services, and take smart risks in order to further achievement? Do you express gratitude toward your team for their contributions? Have you created a culture where people feel motivated to strive for excellence?
Not only will creating a positive culture lead to better work and a better bottom line, it will also develop the people you lead into leaders themselves. Always be growth-oriented.
6. Continuously learn so you can effectively lead. Teach others to do the same.
Leaders know there is always more to learn and room for growth, no matter how much experience they have.
What actions have you taken recently – this week – in order to improve your skills, be a better leader, or improve your decision-making? Leaders set an example for those they lead. If you are not improving and learning, how can you expect others on your team to do so?
At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I teach entrepreneurs and professionals who understand the relationship between maximizing their leadership potential and achieving consistent and powerful RESULTS to cultivate their leadership potential and expand their circle of influence.
Are you living up to your leadership potential? Contact me today to learn how to lead with purpose and integrity.
Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus™” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with more than 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.
To learn more about Celeste, click here.
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