The Business of Leadership
3 Ways
TO Leadership
Excellence
By: Bonnie Benkula, BSHCA, MBA Certified Coach, Speaker, Trainer The John Maxwell
TEAM The Leaven Exchange Bonnie @ Benkula. com
Are you living up to your potential? Are you ready to give things up? Give up excuses. Remove naysayers. Give up your weaknesses.
Will you give yourself the permission to give up your weaknesses? Can you focus on your strengths? It’ s not easy to remove the excuse-mobile that has been driving your life but it’ s time to get on with it!
Here are three ways to make change stick and head towards your top potential.
1. First, quit thinking like one-man band.
John Maxwell, recently named the Most Influential Leadership Trainer says, " You can’ t do it all. 90 % of what you can do- can be done better by someone else."
Done by someone else? Yes it’ s time to get out of your teams way or build a talented team.
But there is a strength that you have and you need to focus on that strength. Leaders often take their given talents for granted and get stuck trying to improve weaknesses. Quit wasting time. Focus on your strengths. Life is short.
3. Choices still matter. Don’ t take the easy road.
When you take the easy road, your success can get lost. Almost always the right way is the harder way. Almost always there is some discomfort in leading in the right direction instead of the popular direction.
Consider that a leaders most challenging team member might just be their most gifted team member. Be aware that jealousy, fear and insecurity can cloud a leaders decisions. Do not give in to these negative influences.
Exceptional leaders seek out the most talented and weak leaders hire below themselves. Choices matter. Leaders need to hire higher, hire smarter and hire to strengths they don’ t have in their skill set.
This year, invest in yourself and build your strengths by taking a leadership class or finding a strong mentor. Then hire the best talent you can afford and surround yourself with excellence.
Then practice patience with yourself and others, understanding that exceptional takes time. Make the hard choices and get on with it. This is
2. Growth takes time. Don’ t stop at average.
Many quit when they are comfortable or when the going gets too tough for too long. These are your dreams – your life! Do not quit at comfort. Leaders growth occurs when they step out of their comfort zone. Success is right over that challenge you don’ t think you can handle but you can handle it. Most quit too soon. Great leaders are not ordinary, they are extraordinary.
Focus on your strengths. Be patient with your growth and don’ t stop at average. Exceptional is your given right. Claim it and attain it!
25 MOMENTUM / February 2018