One eternal truth that the world has had to deal with is that: Leaders are not born. They are made. No leader was formed from a special leadership gene pool; every successful leader is a product of commitment to certain principles. This means everyone with a commitment to the same set of principles has the potential to be a great leader.
This is 2020 – the year many have been waiting for. It is an opportunity to open a new page and start over. Fresh goals can be made and new targets set.
Vincent Van Gogh noted that “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” Why not check out the small things that you need to be a greater you in 2020?
Face Your Fears. Fear may be the only thing standing between you and your goal. Fear of failure or the fear of making a bad decision. You may be stuck in the closet for longer than you think. That’s why you need to take action. The fear of suffering is suffering in itself. Get up and face your fears. That’s the best way of getting past this stage and nearer to your goal.
Be Optimistic. Helen Keller said, “optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.” You have to wake up every morning feeling confident about achieving your goals. Pessimism drains you of strength and hope. Get away from pessimists and continually motivate yourself.
Stop Complaining. You have to understand that nobody wants your complaints. Everybody wants results. Complaints make you look weak and vulnerable. Be thankful for what you have and make do with it.
Listen More. A real leader listens. You can’t always have the best ideas. You have to be conscious of everyone around you. Listen first and speak last. You’d be surprised how many people are dying to be listened to. This may be the best decision you’ll make this year.
Measure Results. You need to know how far you have come and how closer or farther you are to your goal. This will help you sit back to celebrate your progress and plan for the distance ahead.
Show Empathy. This is very essential in dealing with people. Showing empathy does not make you weak, it makes you human. As a leader, you must be able to identify with or understand the emotional state of another person. It would endear people to you.
Be Honest. It may sound cliche but honesty is still the best policy. You earn people’s respect by being honest. Say it the way it is. Your reputation matters in leadership and business.
Inspire By Doing. It is easy to talk but people want to see action. As a leader, you lead by example. You don’t inspire by seating in your corner office and giving orders. You inspire by being a participant member of the team.
Be Generous. Generosity has a way of painting a good picture of a person. Once in awhile, buy lunch for your team members, give someone a gift, send some flowers, a box of chocolate, and give compliments. You’ll be respected for generosity.
Focus On Crazy Targets. Groundbreaking achievements are most times products of crazy targets. It can be an adventure when the target is unusual. See to it that it is achieved. You’ll always be remembered for achieving that extraordinary feat.
Everything Is Possible. There is no mountain too high. It takes determination and courage to get you to where you want to be. Sit back and look at the target again; there is always a way. Don’t give up.
Learn From Failures/Mistakes. Every experience should be a lesson. It doesn’t matter that you failed or made a mistake; what matters is what you learned from the experience and how better you have become.
Be The Change You Want To See In The Society. Start the process for change; others would join. No matter the change, it starts from someone. Let the person be you. Do the right thing.
Be Thankful. Gratitude has been noted as the greatest attitude of all. Just like Oprah Winfrey said: be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. You need to stop focusing on what you don’t have because you’d never have enough that way.
