One day you begin to believe and everything changes.
“Everything you will ever do as a leader is based on one audacious assumption. It’s the assumption that you matter.” The Truth about Leadership, Kouzes and Posner.
4 deadly beliefs:
- Hope changes things. Hope is necessary, but hope by itself doesn’t change anything. Apart from action, hope turns to despair.
- Things that feel bad should be avoided. Confrontation, for example, is a gift, especially when it’s partially on target. Humility is a always a good thing.
- Strong people succeed on their own and receiving help is a sign of weakness.
- You should be like everyone else.
5 ways to believe you matter:
- Believe in something that matters. Over the last three years, I’ve come to believe in coaching as an essential leadership skill. When I declare the value of coaching, I dare to believe in my own voice.
- Make imperfect contributions. Solve a small piece of a big problem. Small progress ignites belief.
- Help others believe they matter. You matter when you help others believe they matter. Answer your own self-doubt by soothing the doubts of others. Show people they matter by explaining how they’re making a difference.
- Step into fear slowly. You’re afraid you don’t matter. Express your big dream in small ways.
- Try one thing, not many. Worry less about all the things you can’t do.
- Embrace progress – that isn’t good enough – as a way of life. Occasionally progress is good enough, usually it isn’t.
- Say, “Let’s try,” when it might work and you don’t have better alternatives.
- Build a track-record of small wins. One day you’ll turn around and say, “Gee, maybe I can make a difference.”
How might leaders learn to believe they matter?
How might you believe you matter, today?