Leaders drag themselves and their teams
Most leaders are tired of dragging their butts through their days.  I hear in my conversations with leaders their stories of exhaustion and annoyance while, they pull their resistive employees through daily responsibilities. 

Leaders tell me, they would prefer to feel gratification and maybe even joy in their work, in place of the resentment they currently they have towards difficult team members.

I felt deflated often as a leader
When I was leading programs, I remember many nights where I would leave the office feeling deflated and fatigued. I couldn’t figure out where I was going wrong. I knew I wanted to make a difference, but felt more like I just waded through crap all day. It was immensely frustrating. I had no idea really, if I was making progress. Sadly, there were more days than I care to remember that it certainly didn’t feel like anyone was on my side.

You might be looking for a different experience of leadership
If you have a team that you lead, my guess is that you occasionally feel this way too. I bet you would like to see your team excel and that you would like to feel rewarded by the work you do. If you are like most leaders, you would prefer to be a little bit eager to start your day and pleased with the results at the end. 

What are successful leaders doing differently?
To find added success (and fulfillment) in your leadership, I have narrowed leadership success down to 4 key points that will help you and your team flourish. Doing these 4 things will give you clarity, purpose and help you attain the results you desire.

Discover the 4 hacks here
If you have the above 4 points happening in your role, you will be quite successful. So what can you do to get this effect in your team? Follow these for simple hacks.

1.     Identify the four or five people that are your key followers.

Write their names down and beside them right the title “Follower.” Doing this will help shift the way you see them. It is the similar as remembering that we are role models for our children. We need reminders that we are also role models for the people following us.

2.     Write down your vision and communicate it to your key followers.

Get clear on where you were going. This isn’t the company’s vision and mission or the programs vision and mission statement. This is what you individually as a leader are aiming for. It might be similar to the companies and yet it could be strategically different. Get your vision and mission very clear and concrete. Make sure that you share that clear vision with those key followers.

3.     Write down the results you are desiring.

Identify what it is that you are working on. Know what your key indicators of success are. How will you know that you have achieved your goals. Once again, communicate that to your key followers.

4.     Inspire your followers.

Beside each of your key followers names also note the areas of growth that you are working on in them. Perhaps you are encouraging one to become more courageous and bold. You may be helping another one of your followers to navigate some tough conversations in their team. Know very clearly and distinctly what it is you were growing in each of your key followers.

A leader is someone who impacts others.

Which means, just about anyone could be a leader. That is true in my mind. We are all leaders.  At least, we all have the ability to show up as a leader, if we choose to.

The problem is, we don’t always choose to.

Instead think about how often we sit back and blame others, abdicating our responsibility for the outcome of any situation.

Have you ever ran for a public office? 
No? But do you complain about the way your city or province is run? What do you do to positively impact the situation? I mean … other than complaining?

I am just as guilty
Don’t get me wrong. I am just as guilty. I have been known on occasion to grumble about the way a local volunteer organization is ran; yet I’ve done nothing to support them.

I get it, we all do it.

What I am suggestion though, is that if we choose to, it can be a whole different experience for everyone involved.

Here is what I believe

You, me, we, any of us can all choose to step into leadership.

We can all influence others. What makes a great leader stand out, however, is not only their ability to impact, but their ability also to inspire others.

Great leader stand out from others because they inspire those around them towards positive, good or worthy purposes. 

A bully on a playground can influence his peers to hit the little guy. Not very inspiring is it? 

Are you guilty?
Yet how different is that from a staff member spreading gossip at about the supervisor? How different is a bully on the playground from someone gossiping about how unorganized the new leader is. This person is simply influencing their fellow peer to look for the ineffectiveness in the new leader rather than what they have to offer.

It's time to step into Leadership
Whether you are a frontline staff, team lead, supervisor or manager you have the ability to demonstrate leadership often. It is about impacting and inspiring others to be the best version of themselves and to have the most positive impact on the world around them.

How do you do that?

3 Ways to step into leadership by inspiring those around you

If you don't figure this one out, you will never enjoy life. 

SLOW DOWN

Yes, I harp on this again and again. You can not enjoy life when you are constantly running full speed ahead. 

Juice for Leaders
Do you want more hints, tips and ideas to help you be the best leader you can be? Try my Juice for Leaders series. It is truly nourishment for your leadership soul. Click here for more info.