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Over the past four articles, I’ve shared a powerful 4-step cycle that can transform your life and leadership when implemented consistently. Click on each word below to link back to their corresponding articles. 

CHOOSE. ACT. BECOME. REPEAT. 

These four simple words can be game-changing for you. The challenge is overcoming distractions and implementing the process consistently. This is where many people trip up. 

Over the course of my 25+ years of leadership development, I’ve come to highly value the necessity for consistency. 

People need leaders to be consistent in how they think, act, and interact with their followers. 

The quality of a leader’s life is determined by the choices they make, the actions they take, and who they become in the process. If you want to become better, you must make better choices and intentionally act upon them. 

Allow yourself to grow through the process. 

Take notes on the lessons you learn from both good and bad experiences. 

Teach this 4-step process to those you lead so they become better in their respective roles. 

Plaster this process in visible places to create a growth culture in your organization. 

Teach this 4-step process to your kids so they will be able to achieve amazing results earlier in life than you could ever imagine.

Make the choice to be like the person who gave me Becoming a Person of Influence when I was only 20 years old which set me on a leadership development journey I never knew was possible. 

Becoming a better leader isn’t just for your benefit, but it does start with you. 

Leadership ultimately is about others. Leaders take people to places they never thought were possible or even knew existed. Leaders have the power to change the world one person and one organization at a time. 

Imagine being the kind of leader people love to follow so much that they wake up energized each day to tackle the next challenge with you. 

Imagine being the kind of leader people look to in times of crisis and opportunity.

Imagine being the kind of leader people speak highly of and miss when you or they leave the team or organization. 

Imagine the words you would want your followers to share about you in a eulogy at the end of your life. 

Now, take those ideas and think about what skills and abilities you’ll need to develop to make this your reality. 

CHOOSE to become that kind of leader.

ACT on this choice to develop yourself. 

Be willing to go through the challenges of transformation in order to BECOME this leader. 

Then, as you reach new levels of growth, REPEAT the process. 

This is how you will become a transformational leader who has the ability to impact your followers, team, organization, community, family, and even the world at large. 

I believe YOU can become this kind of leader! 

If you believe you can as well, let’s go on this journey together and make a true difference to transform our world for the better.

If you’re ready to exponentially increase your leadership skills and impact, CLICK HERE to learn how to join the next Magnetic Leadership Accelerator group coaching program! 

 

If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it’s that adaptability is critical for leadership in uncertain times. Looking back, I’m quite amazed at how so many organizations pivoted in a very short period of time when they had to adjust to survive. 

I love the commercial of a bike company that shifted its business model to offer virtual video demonstrations using the Microsoft Teams app with customers all over the world. The owners tell the story of how their business expanded quickly because they were no longer bound by a specific brick-and-mortar location. What could’ve been crushing for this business became an opportunity to expand their reach globally. 

Not every business was able to easily adjust like this based on what they do, but many leaders who went virtual are saying they’re never going back to the way they did business prior to the pandemic. Only time will tell if this holds true, but the reality is that adaptability is a vital characteristic of leaders in today’s world.

How can you develop your adaptability “muscles” in order to adjust faster and better whenever the need arises? Consider the following five key actions:

1 – Always Be Prepared

When I was a teenager, I remember the youth leaders at our church teaching us to make decisions in advance so we would know how to respond when we found ourselves in various situations. They taught this because they knew we could either freeze up or make poor decisions at the moment, but if we thought about how to respond in advance, we could remain calm and think more clearly. The same is true in leadership. You don’t have to run “worst-case scenario” drills every day, but it helps to think through various situations to be prepared for critical moments. Think about how schools run practice emergency drills periodically in order to prepare the students for real threats. Determine “emergency drills” to do with your team so you’ll be more prepared for a variety of challenges.

2 – Expect Challenges Daily

No matter how solid your team and organization are, challenges will arise. In fact, leadership is needed most because of the inevitable challenges. Each day may not bring a crisis, but most have their moments of frustration. I once spoke with a leader who said he metaphorically walks around each day with two buckets in his hand – one with water to put out fires and one with gasoline to start them. I love that illustration because it’s so true! Some people are starting fires that need to be put out and addressed. Others need a fire lit under their seats in order to take action. Both are challenges that leaders must address.

3 – Respond, Don’t React

If you’ve done #1 above, this action is much easier. There is a fine line between responding and reacting. Responding carries with it a much calmer, thoughtful approach. Reacting can cause chaos. Think about first responders who show up on the scene of an emergency. You don’t see them running, but rather walking with intention. Why? Because if they run, they’ll be reacting based on adrenaline and be emotionally charged. This could lead to poor decision-making. But a calm, intentional pace allows them to assess and address the problem better. As a leader, if you run toward problems you’ll find yourself easily worked up and reacting. But if you slow your breathing and pace, giving yourself the space to assess things clearly, you’ll be able to respond intentionally. 

4 – Enlist Your Team

While the buck may stop with you as the leader, you shouldn’t ignore the very people you’ve assembled to help solve problems. You will see challenges from only one perspective, but your team members will add additional perspectives to help you see things differently. This is extremely helpful in times of challenge or crisis. I’m continually amazed that when I look at projects one way I don’t see a solution, but when I shift my view even slightly I can see things differently to accomplish my goals. We recently had a new stove delivered to our home and I didn’t think our old one would fit through our door to be removed with the door on its hinges. However, when the delivery crew arrived, they simply said to turn it sideways and it would fit fine. While I felt a bit silly, it reminded me to look at things from multiple angles more intentionally. The same is true in leadership. Ask for different viewpoints. Even if you don’t like what you hear, you can determine the best next move with a well-rounded assessment.

5 – Take Action Even When Uncertain

At the end of the day, leaders can’t sit still even when they don’t know what to do next. We gain momentum through movement. It’s like trying to steer a parked car. You’ll exhaust yourself trying to come up with a perfect solution and waste precious time. However, when you start moving in any direction, you can make simple course corrections that lead to better outcomes. Don’t let “paralysis of analysis” set in. Be thoughtful about how to respond, but then do something. The best action may be to enlist your team or quickly draft possible solutions on paper to brainstorm. Whatever feels right to do, do it. The only true wrong action is inaction. 

Imagine being able to confidently lead your team through chaotic, uncertain situations.

Imagine having a reputation for being a leader others can depend on when things to be falling apart all around you.

Imagine being looked to for guidance when challenges arise because you’ve built a reputation for success amidst difficulties. 

This can be your reality when you implement these five key actions.

In my book, The Magnetic Leader, I teach about 18 essential actions that leaders should take if they want to attract high-quality team members and keep them engaged. If you want to become a leader people love to follow, CLICK HERE to learn more and to purchase your copy today!

Until next time…make today GREAT!

Have you ever felt the tension of having a dream, but feeling the pressure of living in your current reality?

It’s human nature to want security and stability in the notorious “comfort zone”. The problem with staying in your comfort zone is that you often have this nagging feeling that there’s something more out there for you to be, do, or have. I believe that we are all wired to keep progressing in life. This presents a problem.

In order to move towards your dream, you have to let go of things along the way. Sometimes it’s the security of a “stable” job. Sometimes it’s moving to a new city. Sometimes it’s letting go of a relationship that is holding you back. Regardless of what it is, you have to let go.

Think of holding on to two boats that are drifting apart. One boat is your current reality; the other is your dream. At first, you can hold onto both and manage, but as they drift farther away from each other, you are stretched to the point where you have to make the decision to let go of one of the boats. Are you going to let go of your comfort zone or are you going to let go of your dream? That’s the question. It’s not an easy decision.

Today, spend some time counting the cost of staying where you are versus pursuing your dream. What price are you willing to pay? I want to challenge you to dream and think BIG – Be Intentionally Great. That means that you let go of the good to experience the great possibilities before you. Don’t settle for a life of mediocrity out of fear of the unknown.  Break through the “terror barrier” that is holding you back.

What is your decision? (And by the way…making no decision is a decision to stay where you are.) Will you be okay with that decision 10 years from now?