Heres what you need to keep in mind if you want to strengthen your leadership muscle. 1. Dont be scared to fail big. I am such a big believer in this. I could give you a long list of things I have done wrong, says self-made billionaire Michael Rubin. Of particular note was being more than $200,000 bankrupt at 16. Rubin says that he often hears from aspiring entrepreneurs about their great ideas, but they are consistently blocked by some variety of fear. Failure is ok and good, Rubin says, as long as you are able to fail forward, i.e. you learn from each and every mistake. I like to fail, he says. I have had so many failures and each time I have failed, I have figured out how to grow. Read More: The Brilliance of Failure, In the Words of a Self- Made Billionaire 2. Banish self-doubt by acknowledging your accomplishments. A lack of confidence can stop you from taking charge. You overestimate the risk in your mind, says Marci G. Fox author of Think Confident, Be Confident (Perigee Trade, 2009). You see yourself as more vulnerable, and you forget how capable and competent you are. Feelings of anxiety or doubt can distort your self-image; were often our own worst critics. Fox recommends focusing on daily successes (no matter how small) in order to keep self- doubt at bay. Often, were so focused on what we havent done that we cant accurately see our progress, she says. If youre able to celebrate your past accomplishments and keep your confidence level high, making the necessary tough or unpopular calls becomes more doable. Read More: How to Think Like a Confident Leader 3. Dont settle for the standard solution. If you want to create a truly outstanding product or service, you need to be thinking a step ahead of the pack. Our brains are wired to recycle ideas weve already heard from others, but independent thinking can be learned, says Art Markman, a cognitive psychologist at University of Texas at Austin and author of Smart Thinking (Perigee Trade, 2012). Contrary to what you might think, open- ended problems are the enemy of novel solutions. If you dont have constraints, the first things youll come up with are the most accessible memories, says Markman. Theyll be really similar to what others have done before. He also recommends ruling out elements of the solution that are most expected or obvious, considering ideas that dont seem compatible, and zooming out to see variables that others might overlook. Read More: How to Break the Mold and Be an Independent Thinker 4. Focus on results, not style. Our research indicates that what really matters is that leaders are able to create enthusiasm, empower their people, instill confidence and be inspiring to the people around them, says Peter Handal, chief executive of New York City-based Dale Carnegie Training, a leadership-training company. Its a tall order, but luckily, there are many ways to achieve these same standout results. Inspiring leaders come in all different forms -- introvert, extrovert, casual, formal you name it. Authentic leadership styles fall on a broad spectrum; its the results that matter, not the package. Read More: 5 Keys to Inspiring Leadership, No Matter Your Style 5. Always keep improving. Some studies report that a third of what it takes to be a good leader is inherited, but that just means the other two thirds are up for grabs, says Angelo Kinicki, organizational culture expert and professor at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. True, some people are naturally more in control than others, but discipline can be strengthened and re-enforced with practice, Kinicki says. Read More: Leadership: Nurture or Nature? 6. Learn to act like an introvert and an extrovert. The business world has never been altogether friendly to introverts. Yet roughly four in 10 top executives -- including Larry Page, co-founder and now CEO of Google -- identify as one. Whats more, their success may not come despite their natural introversion, but because of it, an idea backed up by new research suggesting introverts foster a better team environment than their more outgoing peers. Its worth noting, however, that the most successful introverts have also mastered the ability to act like extroverts, a reminder that learning how to fake it is still an important tool in a leaders arsenal. Read More: Why Introverts and Comedians Make Great Leaders 7. Cultivate generosity. Creating an organizational culture of generosity is healthy for business, says Patricia Thompson, an Atlanta-based corporate psychologist and president of Silver Lining Psychology. Research shows that engaging in acts of kindness is associated with greater happiness, she says. While being stressed and in a negative mood puts our bodies into fight-or-flight mode and limits our range of thoughts, making us less effective problem solvers, positive emotions can improve productivity and inspire innovation
Posted on: Thu, 13 Feb 2014 01:54:20 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015