What's The Quick Fix to Developing Effective Leadership?
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by: joefarcht
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Everyone wants a quick fix. Wouldn't you like it if I could just tell you the secret to developing more effective leadership and you could be an effective leader right now? You know -- make it quick and sweet and get it done today!
Well, here's the truth: I can and I can't!
Here's the "I Can" Part
There is an exact process to developing more effective leadership. And it's not complicated! Here's all you have to do: Learn what effective leaders do. Do it yourself. Repeat.
It's a quick fix isn't it? But it's also pretty broad. So, this quick fix answer is probably not a good one - although the process is correct!
Here's the "I Can't" Part
Because developing more effective leadership is so general, we must break it down into its basic components and work with those. Those components include acquiring knowledge, developing new insights, changing how you think and what you do, and practicing until you've achieved mastery.
Acquire Knowledge
The conscious and deliberate quest of knowledge about all aspects of leadership is essential. Knowledge is the great separator between the mediocre and the exceptional.
Here are just a few of the hundreds of areas where in-depth knowledge is important: speaking, listening, dialoguing, exercising, eating, dressing, supervising, motivating, writing, reading, working, technical area of expertise, psychology, selling, negotiating, and the list continues.
How do you get this knowledge? Again, any number of ways such as: reading books and magazines, listening to educational CDs, watching educational videos or TV, asking questions, interviewing experts, observing people and reflecting on your own experiences.
A great source of knowledge and insight is my book 'Building Personal Leadership: Inspirational Tools and Techniques for Work and Life.'
Develop Insights
While acquiring this knowledge, certain pieces of information will catch your attention and create an 'ah-ha moment' for you. Usually, when something strikes you in this manner, it's very valuable information for you in particular. Don't ignore these insights. Record them in an Insight Log. If you don't, what will happen? You'll forget each insight and they all become worthless.
Change How You Think
Applying your insights to your work and life is the action that begins to develop more effective leadership. Applying what you learn and your insights to how you think is critical to making the changes you seek. Only by changing your thinking and beliefs will your behaviors change. Changing your behaviors is essential to developing more effective leadership.
Change What You Do
As your thinking and beliefs change, so will what you do. You will find yourself engaged in new, more effective actions at work and in your life. Your new actions and behaviors will be directly linked to getting new results and will be recognized as exercising more effective leadership. Insight without application is only entertainment! You want more than entertainment, don't you?
Practice Until Mastered
Practicing the thoughts, actions, and behaviors that bring you more effective results will lead to developing more effective leadership skills, competencies, and attitudes.
Take a Baby Step Now
There it is! That's the whole process - which is actually easy. It's a continuous, daily process and includes making many baby steps along the way.
Why not take a baby step right now?
Today, acquire knowledge until you develop one clear insight into how you could improve your work and life. Apply that insight to your thinking and actions today and for at least 21 days (track your daily performance of this new skill). Watch as you develop another effective skill to add to your collection of leadership skills. Observe and celebrate the new results that you will receive from developing more effective leadership skills. Continue this process until you die.
I guarantee that you will have an unbelievably rewarding life from the results you will generate with this daily practice.
About the Author
Joe Farcht is the founder and president of Leadership Advantage, Inc. His purpose for living is to develop and coach leaders, executives, managers, and supervisors to new levels of performance and success in their work and life. He is the author of the book Building Personal Leadership: Inspirational Tools & Techniques for Work & Life. Learn more at Leadership Advantage, Inc.. Please contact Joe at joefarcht@cox.net or at 602 996-1802.
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