Have you noticed what is going on in business leadership lately? It seems that there is a “LID” on the idea that having a “Personal Growth Plan” is no longer needed by those at the top, and those underneath the LID are blotting. Confidence is waning because those who think they are great at “leading” their organization have stopped growing, learning new things, and reading. They are depending on their own perspective and experience to be enough. Employees are rejecting this idea.
What does it mean to be the “LID?” As mentioned above, if you call yourself a leader and you are not growing in some way, then you are blocking your entire organization from moving upward and forward. You and your business will grow stagnant and begin to decay.
How can this be avoided? The answer is simple: YOU, the LEADER, must change! This is about humbling yourself and admitting that “I don’t know everything. What I do know is there are solutions out there, and we must go and get them and use them to continue to grow our organization.” Now, that is a bold statement!
What are some practical things a leader can do to lead his/her organization into a growth culture? Let’s explore that now.
- ALIGNMENT – the leader and the team must be aligned. This refers to the daily activities and how things are measured. The goals of the team are all the same.
- HIGHEST PRIORITIES – every member of the team must be able to state what the highest priorities are and how their actions [to-dos for the day] move the ball forward to the end result.
- BUSY WORK – A member of any team who is derailed over and over again from any member of the team will fail to meet the goals for the end result. It takes 20 minutes for an employee to get back on task once derailed! Being busy with a full calendar isn’t progress!
- CONVERSATIONS – it is natural to avoid conversations when fear of failure is looming. Clear conversations must take place in the ALIGNMENT phase, or failure will ensue. The opposite is also true. Fear of success can also derail a company. What else might derail the team? They do not measure up to the other team members, and they fear being discovered as a fraud in the position they hold. There are many more.
- STRENGTHS vs WEAKNESSES – each team member must be assessed in order to see where they best fit in the organization. If a leader is opposed to any type of assessment, then the organization will crumble. When any strength is taken to its extreme, it then becomes a person’s greatest weakness. “The hardest person to lead is YOURSELF!” ~John Maxwell.
- SELF – did you ever notice that when you are faced with a challenge, difficult situation, or unplanned setback, you look for some kind of “self-help” in terms of a tool or skill you lack? That’s not the issue here. You must look at yourself in the mirror and see who made the choices and decisions. If you are the leader, then that person is YOU. Let’s take a moment here and DIG DEEPER with this VI one. Here are some things you can do immediately to correct the situation.
- Choose to participate in “Self–Growth.”
- Learn to be okay with ideas and processes that are not your own.
- Take a 360 ° assessment and be okay with the outcome, which points to your areas of weakness and growth potential.
- Get yourself a partner to help you develop a plan. These professionals are available everywhere. These professionals will be your accountability partner in your growth journey.
- You must want to walk away from the “toxicity” in your life. Toxic people, relationships, addictions, places, and so on. If you continue to swim in toxic waters, you will not grow!
- Block off your calendar to do the work of GROWING. “What we VALUE, we make time for.”
- Stumbling and falling are part of the growth journey. Be willing to admit when you have made a poor decision and let those you lead know you are growing in order to correct and illuminate these mistakes.
- Delegation is another great way to grow. If you are not strong in a particular area, delegate it to someone who is. This strengthens your leadership position.
- MEASURING SUCCESS – how will I know I am leading well? You will hear it, see it, and feel it everywhere. It’s like feeling and hearing a sigh of relief coming from the organization as a whole. You will see more progress more engagement, you will see quicker responses, and the idea machine will ramp up, coming up with new and innovative solutions that before were blocked by “YOUR LID!”
Are you ready to take the next big step in your GROWTH JOURNEY? Are you looking for a partner to challenge you? I am available to be that partner. If you would like to give it a try, let’s go. If the first month does not meet your expectations, your money will be returned to you.
Reach out to the address below, and let’s begin.
janice@janicebastanicoaching.com
8914 Collina Ct.
Granite Bay, CA 95746
908-229-3797
www.janicebastanicoaching.com
www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/janicebastani
