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How Leaders Stand Out From The Competition And Grow Their Influence
The most important thing any leader can do is develop more leaders.
So, how exactly do you do that Eliot? In today’s article I will share with you the secret that all effective leaders know.
Okay, this one is easy right? Motivation? Leaders develop more leaders by motivating them, right? Wrong. Leaders develop more leaders by inspiring people who are already motivated.
If you are a leader and your people need motivating, then you have the wrong people. Motivation is an inside job and it’s a topic I go into great
details about in my book Inside Out: Its An Inside Job. Motivation starts with each person and comes in an infinite variety. Many leaders fall into the trap of working through the combinations of motivations, to find the exact right motivation for each person they want to grow with and influence. Experience has taught me that with this strategy, it’s difficult to get anything done. Instead, it’s better for your people to motivate themselves and for you as their leader to inspire them. The degree to which you can successfully influence others depends on three key factors:
You must first lead yourself
According to Andrew Bryant and Ana Lucia Kazan, authors of the book Self-Leadership: How To Become A More Successful, Efficient, and Effective Leader From The Inside Out, “Self-Leadership is the process of intentionally observing and influencing your thinking, feeling, and behaviours, to achieve your objectives.” In other words, it’s about how you intentionally impact yourself, including how you think and behave to achieve your goals and ambitions. To lead yourself you will have to firstly understand yourself. The reason for this is because it is a high probability that you will be the most difficult person you will ever lead. Take responsibility for every aspect of your life, including your growth. Self-leadership does not change or develop without practice. It takes effort and regular training to improve. Self-leadership implies self-efficiency, this encourages a belief in yourself that whatever comes your way you can handle it.
Assume control for everything
Success is not something that happens to you; it’s something that happens because of you and because of the actions you take. People who refuse to take responsibility generally don’t stand out from the competition or grow. Effective leaders hate the blame game and know that it is better to make something happen – good or bad – than have it happen to you. To get where you want to go in life, you must adopt the view that whatever is going on in your world – good, bad, or nothing – is something caused by you. By increasing your responsibility level, you will inherently enhance your ability to find solutions to life’s inevitable challenges and create more success for your life.
Network your way to success
Timothy was an operational manager who had just received notice from management that the Miami, Florida manufacturing facility where he worked would be closing in two months. After work, he attended his usual hospital guild meeting with a long face. Some of his peers inquired. The fellow guild members did not know Timothy’s occupation until that night. One thing led to another and soon six people at the meeting asked him to email his resume because they knew someone who needed someone like him. Of course, the guild members could vouch for him, having volunteered with him for years. Ultimately, these contacts led to three interviews and one job offer. How many times have you met someone and when you told them what you did, they said, “I did not know you were a (fill in the blank).” If you are keeping your career or business under wraps, it is time to unwrap it.
There are networking opportunities all around us. Take advantage of every chance to meet someone new. Don’t leave this to chance. Take responsibility for your actions, be intentional about the habits shared. Your influence on others begins with how you think and behave. Isaac Newton’s third law suggests that “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” As you lead yourself, assume control for everything and network your way to success. Supporting other’s careers and businesses increases opportunities for you to receive support.
info@eliotkelly.co.uk
