Become a Leader in Your Life

Now more than ever, people need great leaders.  Great leaders have something in common – strong self-belief.  Beliefs drive your actions and actions create results.  If you don’t believe you can lead, you’ll find all the evidence why you shouldn’t.  When you believe you can become a leader, you’ll find all the reasons to succeed. 

Here are some actions you can take to become a leader in your life:

1.  Take personal responsibility for problems.  I recently spoke with a leader of a Fortune 500 company and asked him how he was so effective at leading his people.  He said, “Brian, when it comes to giving praise, I look through a window and I praise everyone outside that window.  But when there’s a problem, I take responsibility and look in the mirror.”  His key is to empower others and to accept responsibility himself.

2.  Hire the right people.  Problems are only symptoms of a broken company culture.  To get to the root of any problem, look at who you’re hiring.  Part of the problem is, when most people hire, they ask Miss America questions.  “Name two strengths and two weaknesses.”  Not only is the question weak, but it doesn’t help you find the best people.  How would you expect the interviewees to answer?  Here’s another one, what about when you get references?  Personally, I think they’re a waste of time.  They’re almost always positive.  Instead, when you’re interviewing, ask scenario-based questions that go beyond the normal operating procedures.  That’s when you’ll get the answers that apply to your reality.  Your goal is to see how people operate without understanding company policies and procedures. 

3.  Lead by example.  The number one sport in America is “boss watching.”  People are watching what you’re doing every day.  Managers can rationalize why employees don’t perform, but the reality is that their actions are symptoms of bad leadership.  If you don’t like what you see, change your behavior first. 

As you take these actions, you’ll be the leader that everyone needs – one that leads their team into success.

 Courtesy - Brian Parsley