Helplessness is a comfortable self-affirming myth for those who refuse to step forward.
Decisions made in helplessness matter as much as decisions made in power. “I can’t change anything,” profoundly impacts life.
I can’t blame anyone – but myself – for all the time I spent spinning my wheels. Neither can you. You have the ability, responsibility, and opportunity to improve your leadership.
You are the lid on your effectiveness.
The law of the lid:
“Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness.” John Maxwell in “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.”
10 ways to lift the lid on your leadership:
- Include others. If you can do it alone, it’s not big enough.
- Become accountable to someone. Don’t let yourself off the hook so damn much.
- Think about working with and through, not for.
- Do stuff that others don’t like doing.
- Assess your people skills, planning and strategic thinking, vision, and results.*
- Choose and achieve a meaningful milestone everyday. Don’t worry about eating the whole elephant. Just take a bite.
- Seek feedback. When it comes to developing your leadership, seeking feedback may be the most important thing you do.
- Stop doing things that don’t work. Constant, recurring frustration points to the need for change.
- Put yourself in stressful situations.
- Read.
Bonus: Do things where failure matters.
*From “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” pg 10.
L words for leaders:
This is the “L” installment of the dictionary for leaders.
- Ladder – be it.
- Last – take it. (Leaders Eat Last).
- Latitude – give it.
- Laughter – enjoy it.
- Leap – do it.
- Legacy – live it.
- List – use it.
- Loony – try it.
- Loop – close it.
- Loyalty – extend it.
See the full list of leadership L words on Facebook.
How can leaders lift the lid on their own effectiveness?
What L’s for leaders can you add to the list?