Enhance Your Leadership!
(The following blog post is taken from one of the chapters in my new eBook “Turbocharge Your Business Now!” Read on to find out how to get your FREE copy!)
In his book, “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” well-known author and speaker Maxwell refers to the Law of the Lid. This leadership principle implies that there is a lid on a person’s leadership ability and that this lid determines his/her level of effectiveness. The lower a person’s ability to lead, the lower the effectiveness. The flip side is also true: the higher the leadership ability, the greater the effectiveness.
Your ability to lead determines the effectiveness of your business. If your leadership is strong, your lid is high and your organization will grow and prosper. But if your leadership is weak, then your organization is severely limited. Truly the speed of the leader determines the rate of the pack.
Consider this: your business is a direct reflection of you! Many businesses fail or come short of their potential because the owner is not growing as a leader. Successful people have many things in common, and one that stands out is that they are life-long learners. They are committed to self-improvement. And as they grow, so do the organizations they lead.
Another way to refer to your leadership skills is personal effectiveness. Your ability to be successful in your business is directly proportional to your ability to lead and manage yourself. It has been said that “how you do anything is how you do everything.”
If you are disorganized, then your business will be disorganized. If you lack creativity, so will your organization. If you are overly cautious, then your business will also reflect this tendency. Let me state it again: your business is a direct reflection of you! If you want the business to grow, then growth must begin with you!
Whether you manage several staff members or you are a solopreneur, you must develop your leadership skills so that your business can grow into what you envision it to be.
The following is a list of a few important leadership skills that every business owner should be honing and adding to their repertoire:
- Self-awareness
- Self-management
- Communication skills
- Leading change
- Systems thinking
- Creating culture
- Relationship building
These skills (and others like them) are crucial to building a successful enterprise. After all, as the owner, you are the “lid” on your business. Take a moment to review the list of skills included here. How do you rate? Remember: the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.
I often ask people to consider the following question. “If I gave you $5,000 right now to invest, what would be the best place to “sow” those funds to get the biggest ROI?” The answers are as different as the people giving them. But every once in a while, a sharp individual will look me straight in the eye and respond, “I would invest those funds in my own personal growth!”
You must invest in yourself, in your development as a leader. As you grow, your business will flourish! Here are some strategies you can deploy to that end:
- Read books on leadership
- Take courses on personal effectiveness
- Learn the tools of time management and organization
- Develop good communication skills
- Invest in a personality/temperament assessment to better understand your strengths and weaknesses
- Ask for feedback from friends and family (and don’t get upset if you don’t like some of what they have to say)
- Hire a coach, mentor, or join a mastermind group
Commit to your own personal effectiveness. The more you grow, the more capacity your business will have to do the same. Failure to grow as a leader dooms your organization to remain where it stands currently. Growth will be near impossible, and if you achieve it, it will be difficult to sustain.
To turbocharge your business, place an increased focus on enhancing your leadership skills. Be on the look-out for examples—both good and bad—of leadership that you can use as an example. And remember… The best way to learn to lead more effectively is TO DO IT! Be on the alert for your opportunity!
The greatest investment you will ever make in your business (and in your personal life for that matter) is in your own development as a leader. Your return on investment will be felt in every aspect of your life, both personally and professionally.
