Whenever I wonder about the
impact I am having, I refer to a tweet from @DavidRoads that states “you were born with the ability to change
someone's life - don't ever waste it.” This got me thinking out loud about how often do we
realize this is true in how we lead others? Do we really know and understand
the impact we DO and CAN have on others? Such questions highlight both the privilege
and responsibilities we have as leaders. In other words, we can no longer leave
the impact of our leadership to chance. We have to be intentional about it.
I recently finished reading
a book by John Maxwell (no surprise there!) entitled Intentional Living: Choosing a life that matters. The premise of
the book is that if we live and lead our lives by DESIGN as opposed to by
DEFAULT, then not only will be successful,
we will become significant in
the lives of others!
So if you agree that your
leadership makes an impact, what should your response be? I have a few
suggestions:
- Understand the reach of your leadership impact – keep in mind this will reach far beyond your immediate circle of direct reports and associates. They know other people too, don’t they?
- Understand your influence as a leader in that your words and actions (for better or worse) will just weigh more!
- Understand what it is you want to be intentional about – what is your vision or intention for those that you lead? Do you want them to grow as professionals, become more productive, or understand their own influence and impact on others?
- Understand the huge responsibility of your leadership when viewed in this light. I believe that if you take this concept to heart, then every conversation, interaction, or decision takes on a new level of significance.
I encourage you to reflect about the statements
above as you head into the new week. Bases upon that reflection, what could or
should you do differently? Finally, I offer another encouragement from
@DavidRoads: Be someone who makes someone else look forward to tomorrow.
If you
would like to learn more about John Maxwell’s new book on Intentional Living
and participate in a virtual MasterMind on its content, please email me. As
always if I can help you and
the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would
invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the
training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a
bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your
contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring
initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical
in order to add value to your organization!
Yours in Leadership,
Bill Faulkner
Principal Consultant –
Out Loud Strategies
Independent Coach,
Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team TM
Email = bill@outloudinc.com
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