Are you the leader in your business?
Filed under: Business Coaching, business advice, team building
Personal Leadership for Business Owners
As a leader, you likely know how to lead your business and those around you. But how are you doing in terms of your personal leadership? Personal leadership is the ability to define a direction for your leadership and life, and to move in that direction with consistency and clarity.
Geri touched upon leadership in the last post. We find leadership such an important piece we decided to elaborate on it.
When you practice personal leadership, you “lead from the inside out. “ The process involves asking yourself, “How do I need to be, act and think in order to be my best?” To do that, you must periodically turn away from the concerns of the day – the people, the problems and the pressure – to explore and discover your inner edge.
To practice personal leadership, you apply the principles of leadership that make businesses a success … to yourself.
For example, leading in business involves having a compelling vision, developing strategies and inspiring people to use their talents to meet a goal for improved business results. Leading yourself means applying these same principles of leadership to your role as a leader and your life. You, too, need a compelling vision and a strategy for reaching it. You need a team supporting you. You need results, as well as a sense of contribution and purpose.
The difference is that personal leadership doesn’t just make for better business; it makes for better leadership. It makes for a better you. When you practice personal leadership, you use every ounce of your potential with inspiration instead of perspiration, synergy instead of sacrifice, and wisdom instead of work. Personal leadership is so important, in fact, that renowned management expert Peter Drucker once called it “the only leadership that’s going to matter in the 21st century.”
So now the key question is, “Are you succeeding in leading yourself?” Take the following quiz to find out.
The Personal Leadership Quiz:
Answer each of the following questions with a “yes,” “sometimes,” or “no” response.1. I am clear on what I want and know how to get it – for the big things and the small.
2. I practice a strategic, reflective approach to leadership.
3. I know where to focus my attention on a daily basis.
4. I am able to maintain peak performance at all times.
5. I maintain my sense of stability and equilibrium in times of change.
6. I have identified my talents, strengths, skills, and weaknesses.
7. I know how to maximize and leverage my unique talents and abilities.
8. I am delighted with my quality of life both on and off the job.
9. I feel very little stress and overwhelm in my life.
10. I make a meaningful contribution every day.
11. I have plenty of time for people, activities and events that are most important to me.
12. I take regular action toward my most important goals – not just what’s most pressing.
13. I have a wide network of people who support me, and whom I support in return.
14. I am constantly learning and improving myself.
15. I intuitively recognize and take opportunities.
16. I am often astounded by the way the opportunities I want and the solutions I need present themselves at just the right moment.
17. I achieve a sense of renewal and restoration on a daily basis.
18. I am proud of my ability to maintain my values and the essence of who I am, even when life gets hectic and/or as I get more and more responsibility.
19. I have achieved “success” as I define it.
20. I can say with confidence that every day I am at my very best.Tally Your Score: For each “yes” response, give yourself 2 points, for each “sometimes” response, give yourself 1 point, and for each “no” response, give yourself 0 points.
What Your Score Means:0-13 points: If your score is low, you’re likely new at personal leadership. You’re so focused on the image you’re putting out to the world that you’re neglecting your personal leadership. Chances are you’re doing what you’ve always done. As a result, you’re not being very strategic about what you’re doing and why. It’s time to take a break from the action of business, go backstage, and do the inner work of who you are as a leader, what you want to contribute, and how you can find the ideal strategy for achieving what you want to achieve.
14-27 points: If you scored in the mid-range, you are spending some time on yourself, but you’re not being strategic in terms of getting the right balance for yourself. You may often feel that both business and life are “hit or miss.” You’re getting some benefits, but you’re not getting all the benefits you could. Therefore, look at where you’re excelling. These are your strengths. Find a way to refine those strengths even more so you can capitalize on them better. Then, look at where you rated yourself low. Those are your weaknesses. Find a way to develop those areas so you get more power.
28-40 points: If your score is high, congratulations! You are very often thoughtful and strategic on what you’re doing and why. You’re capitalizing on your talents, and as a result, you’re maximizing your business results. But don’t get comfortable and rest on your laurels. Continue developing your skills.
Remember, the stronger you get in personal leadership, the stronger you get in your business.
Are you Taking Leadership Personally?
The bottom line is that as a leader, you must learn to lead yourself to stay effective. And just as the way you lead helps shape your life, the life you live will help you lead. If you are interested in learning how to lead an effective team start by attending one of our upcoming profit building seminars and learn how to be an inspirational leader!
Giving back – Boosts Team Moral
As a team this past Monday, we volunteered at the CT Food Bank. It was a great team building activity which not only gave back to the community, but also boosted our team moral.
We had the opportunity to participate in the CT Food Bank’s Children’s Backpack Program. The Connecticut Food Bank’s Backpack program brings a simple solution to a basic need that is not adequately met for many children in CT and throughout the United States. By partnering with local public school systems, teachers and staff, the Food Bank identifies students who are food insecure and provides them with kid-friendly food that is distributed discreetly at school at the end of each week.
Each child will receive approximately ten different food items that are nutritious, kid-friendly, shelf-stable and ready to eat with little or no cooking. Each week, the food items are placed into bags by Connecticut Food Bank staff and volunteers, like our team, at a warehouse and packed six per box. At the school, the School Coordinator removes a bag of food from the box and puts it into a child’s backpack on Friday or before a holiday weekend. Using the student’s own backpack (or one provided solely for this purpose) helps shield the child from any stigma that might be associated with being hungry or receiving food assistance.
We were happy to be a part of such a wonderful initiative.
Every successful entrepreneur knows that a strong team makes it possible to accomplish great results, while providing employee satisfaction that is key to retention. But dream teams don’t just happen, they are developed over time and require commitment at all levels – starting with you, the owner, CEO and leader of your company.
Remember strong teams are committed to the success of the business and each other. Commitment comes from participation and understanding. The more we involve our team in the business, the more committed they are to its success. And since some of the best ideas for business growth and improvement come from employees, it’s time to get them engaged.
Team building activities such as volunteering are just one way you can unify the team. Don’t forget that you also need to involve the team not only in the community, but also your business goals.
Working at the Food Bank made us all remember that as a team we can make anything happen. Just as we were able to fill the backpacks for the children by working together, we should be working to help each other to accomplish our business goals in the office everyday and therefore accomplish the goals for the company.
Are you looking to learn more on how you can build a dream team for your business?
To make a difference in your business you have to change the way you do things. It begins by attending one of our profit building seminars.
To get started today click the link above. We look forward to helping you grow your business and making the kind of money you always thought possible.
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