Three Ways to be Ready to Lead
Show up like a kid peeking over the fence. Better to live on your toes than stumble back on your heels.
Successful leaders are prepared for action. They show up READY.
Three ways to be ready to lead:
#1. Ready to say YES:
Consistent results require stable environments. ‘No’ protects the status quo; ‘Yes’ disrupts.
If you aren’t careful, ‘no’ becomes your default response to input and ideas. If you frequently say ‘no’, people choose sleepwalking over engagement.
5 ways to lean toward YES:
Be ready with a first response that leans toward ‘yes’ instead of ‘no’.
- How can you give that a try?
- What are you trying to accomplish? Instead of simply saying ‘no’, explore goals.
- What do you need to make this happen?
- What needs to be true for you to take this idea forward?
- Who is impacted if you move this idea forward?
You tell people their ideas matter when you lean toward ‘yes’.
Tip: Use caution when ideas impact others more than the idea giver. It’s easy to know what others should do.
#2. Ready to finish stuff:
Starting things is a distraction when you aren’t committed to finish stuff.
You end up overworked and stressed out when you habitually add to your bucket without taking something out.
Manageable time pressure increases concentration. Running from one thing to the next invites frustration, mediocrity, and cutting corners.
If you’re a leader who loves to start things, finish something old before you start something new.
#3. Ready to learn:
Learners go further than knowers.
You can be ready to say ‘yes’ and ready to finish stuff, but you’ll crash and burn if you aren’t ready to learn.
- Show up asking, “What can I learn?”
- Stay open to learning from unexpected people.
- Ask, “What am I missing?”
- Record learnings.
What does it mean for leaders to show up READY?
This is just what I needed to hear this morning as I am pitching an idea to my administrator today and offering to take the project on myself. I’m in a position of wanting to showcase my abilities in order to move up the chain in the next year or two. I realize from this post, that I could greatly benefit from making sure I have not left any other projects unfinished and to also present my idea as a collaborative project that welcomes the input and efforts of others. Thank you for the insightful post!
What does it mean for leaders to show up READY?
1. You are clear on your core beliefs and values.
2. You have thought about the problem or opportunity.
3. You have diagnosed the key variables and are open to learning more.
4. You have discussed the issue, obstacles, and your ideas with others.
5. You have identified the first actions that you will take.
6. You have recruited a few people to support your plan.