How To Strengthen Your Leadership-part 2

When you get down to it, you must realize that all levels of leadership are judged by performance. In other words your leadership level is not based on where you think you are, it’s based on what level you can lead and perform at. When I left Tulsa I found my original resume. As I read it, it dawned on me that the job I was leaving had grown into a job I was not qualified for 17 years earlier. I’ve learned that you can strengthen your leadership in the same way that you can increase the amount of weight you can lift. 

The starting place is to test the weight. Is the task you are leading light, medium, or heavy? You’re the only one that can decide. If it’s light, increase the weight that you are lifting until it is challenging yet manageable. If it’s medium keep working with it until it becomes light and no problem at all. Then repeat this step. I know what you are about to ask, “How long to I repeat this step?” That’s simple, for the rest of your life.  Growing and increasing your leadership is a lifelong process. You can learn something every day if you want to. It’s completely up to you. If the weight is heavy, don’t go it alone instead take a spot or a lift up. That’s weight lifting slang for get some help. Help can come in a lot of ways.  It can be as easy as reading a blog, a book or a magazine article. Other times it means attending a conference, finding a coach or mentor or even yet, building a team. The Key is to do whatever you need to do to make a heavy weight manageable yet challenging. When the weight is easy you must add more weight to each set. In leadership terms take on more responsibility and kick it up a notch. You have to keep making yourself start at a higher or new weight. Don’t let yourself stay in a leadership rut, push yourself to grow.  Don’t do the same exercises. Same actions always bring same results. If you are going to strengthen your leadership skills you must set new goals. My trainer use to call it “shattering your personal best.” If you aim at nothing you’ll hit it every time. Your thinking drives performance so it’s up to you to make adjustments and corrections and think right. In other word look in the mirror and correct your form. How bad do you want to improve & grow?

Do your actions prove it? Never be satisfied with where you are until you have finished. I don’t know about you but I’m not finished yet!