STEPS TOWARD A LEADERSHIP BREAKTHROUGH

I believe that a leader faces many hurdles, however he or she
becomes stronger and more accurate at every leap. Begin the
process by practicing the following five steps.
1. Personal Growth. Leadership, just as life, is a journey. You must continue to
learn in order to lead. Each day I try to learn something, file
something and teach something. I learn from reading books,
listening to tapes or meeting with other leaders. I file the
best quotes and stories that I find, which improves my work as an
author and speaker. I also learn a great deal from teaching. My
audience lets me know if I am connecting and helping them with
the lessons I give.
 As a leader, you need to develop your own personal growth plan.
Include resources and experiences that will help you grow
professionally as well as personally. The desire to grow is the
first important step toward a leadership breakthrough.
 2. Responsibility.One of the differences between a leader and a follower is the
willingness to accept responsibility. A leader takes on the
challenge and takes responsibility for the outcome. John D.
Rockefeller, Jr. said, "I believe that every right implies a
responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every
possession, a duty."
As a leader, you must become more concerned with your
responsibility than your rights. People who take responsibility
get the job done, go the extra mile, are driven by excellence,
and produce regardless of the situation.
3. Connection.
As a leader, your relationships with your team members will
determine the effectiveness of the team. Before you will be able
to rally the efforts of your followers, you need to find out
where they are, move toward them, and connect with them.
Remember: you can connect with people and lead them only if you
value them.
Here are some ways to connect:

1) make getting to know your
people a priority;

2) look for things that you and your team
members have in common such as hobbies, experiences, interests;
3) respect differences in opinions or personalities;

4) find out
what motivates your people; and

5) include your team in the
leadership process by asking for their ideas and suggestions.
4. Resolve.
Truly effective leaders must know their priorities and be able to
concentrate their time and energy on meeting goals. A leader who
knows his or her priorities but lacks concentration knows what to
do but never gets it done. A leader who has concentration but no
priorities has excellence without progress.
I have found that I am most productive and successful when I
concentrate 70 percent of my time and energy on my strengths, 25
percent on new things, and 5 percent on areas of weakness. Learn
what you do well that brings the greatest results and make it
your priority, and dedicate the balance of your time to growth.
5. Positive Attitude.
When you are leading a group of people, your attitude is
extremely important. Because attitudes are contagious, your team
will recognize your attitude and adapt to the example you set.
If you appear irritated about the challenges your team faces,
then your team members will to become irritated too.
Your progress and the chance for success will be hindered if your
attitude isn't right. It is impossible for us to tailor our
situations to fit our lives, but it is possible to tailor our
attitudes to fit our situation.
Tailoring your attitude may take a lot of work. Start by
surrounding yourself with positive pictures, sayings and people.
Read motivational books. Then try to achieve a goal every day.
Your attitude will become more positive as you learn and sense
that you are making progress.
Leadership develops from the inside out. Achieving a
breakthrough works the same way. You have the choice to become a
more effective leader this year. It may mean letting go
of the past and moving forward with a new focus, but you'll be
glad you started moving in a new direction as you see the
benefits of reaching your leadership potential.