10 Steps to Becoming Extraordinary and Empowering Others!

One thing that I have noticed is that people are always seeking out that mentor, that powerful person who will lead them to accomplish great things.  This is what we do because the world is a scary place, and having someone by your side, offering advice and encouragement, can go a long way.  There comes a time when a transition must take place.  Success is measured differently by everyone, and while you may still need guidance to rise to the top, there are always ways to inspire those left behind.  By taking the world by storm and embracing your inner strength and passion, you are enabling others to do the same.  It is like a domino effect.  While not everyone will jump on the plane to soar to new heights, there are a few who will, and you can be an inspiration to help them to do this.

Plenty of people follow their dreams and become successful without a thought to how they can help others, but this can change.  Every person who chooses to empower others automatically encourages those individuals to do the same as they rise in the ranks.  It is crucial to recognize that there is potential in everyone, but not everyone has the drive and determination to channel their potential.  This is why only a select few will listen and follow your lead.  Perhaps only one or two out of a room of 100 will take initiative.  This does not mean you have failed, it means those who have excelled, were ready to, and the others are still finding their way.

How can you empower others?

1.  Believe in yourself and be confident, not cocky.  If you can be a strong leader, you will automatically encourage others to be the same.

2.  Recognize that other people are not you.  No one will take the exact same path you did, and if you expect others to do what you did, you will always be disappointed.

3.  One of the greatest skills a leader can have is the ability to listen.  If you become a mentor or have people working under you, you need to truly understand who they are, how they work, and what they believe.  You will be amazed at what you learn about others and how this can improve your approach.

4.  Take the extra time to teach others.  You can be a leader, but if you do not teach others so they too can be successful, you are not a very good leader.  You should always find a way to help others to grow.

5.  Be likeable.  Charisma is a powerful force in a great leader.  If people do not like you, they will not follow you.  You should relay anecdotes and show others your humanity.

6.  Realize who your audience is and how they learn.  If you show you truly care, they will also care about you and what you have to teach them.

7.  Be a good influence.  Make decisions based on your integrity and values.  Be someone others can rely on, and you will empower others to do the same, even when the decisions are difficult.

8.  Be willing to accept criticism.  A great leader knows they have faults, and accepts responsibility for them.  If you know what your faults are, you can change them.  This instills a higher level of respect for you as well.

9.  Help others to see their strengths and improve their faults.  If you focus only on the faults, you will not empower others, you will make them less confident.  Also, have a plan to help others improve their faults, and maintain positivity about them.

10.  Realize that you cannot change everyone or empower everyone, but when you truly care about others, and do the best you can in your leadership roles, you can change at least one life, and that is truly extraordinary.

Leading is Adapting!

To be a leader is to be a performer.  Always in the eyes of others, and always trying to reach various audiences in a way that works for them.  It is something that takes work, and is a never-ending process of learning.

I have found that the various leadership roles I have taken on have enabled me to grow, and that knowledge is something I can carry with me into new roles.  It is also knowledge I can pass on as I am practicing them now.  Every leadership experience is different, and advice may not work in one instance, but it may work very well in another.  As a mentor, I try to express the need to evaluate the leadership role individually and the people involved.  Everyone will react to different leadership roles in varying ways.  To be a leader, one must be able to adapt, to pick up cues, and to realize that failure will happen, but it is merely an opportunity to learn how to succeed.

A leader must be a chameleon, always changing to meet the needs of the environment they are in.  The trick is, they must do this while being true to themselves.  I have worked with many people, and the personality of each individual requires me to adapt to them, to communicate in a way that will help them to realize what my message is.  It can be incredibly difficult at times, and this is why a leader needs to be passionate about their role.  If a leader believes in their message, they will do what they can to convey it appropriately.

If you are a leader and not getting the results you want, you may need to change the methods you are using to fit your audience.  You should always look for ways to improve your abilities, ways to grow, and ways to adapt!

Notice the Potential and Strength of Others!

Being a leader takes great skills. However, leaders often neglect to see the potential in others.  To lead is to inspire and to instill a desire to achieve potential in others.  If you want to have an impact, notice the people around you, the people who work with and for you.  When you see strengths, point it out to them.  Some may not even realize the possibilities they have building inside of them, and it may take someone like you to help them see it.

The important thing to remember is that everyone has special skills and talents, and many of them go through life without ever realizing their potential.  If these people make up a team, and you help them to realize their strengths, you will have a more valuable team, and you will earn the loyalty of others.  People want to be seen, and when you walk through the day without taking a few moments to truly see the people you connect with, you miss out on an opportunity.

Do not view others as just a worker, view them as a human being, and a valuable asset to your team or organization.  When you change how you perceive the people around you. your view of them will change.  Then, incorporate your ability to pay attention to details.  This is how you will find each remarkable quality that makes others special, and this will make you a better person, and a better leader.  Notice others, and they will notice you!

Servant Leadership and Success!

One of the keys to great leadership is the ability to focus on the growth and success of others.  When you follow leadership principles that allow you to focus on giving to those around you, you will find that success follows.  This type of leadership style can be beneficial in many ways.

1.  We all want to succeed.  However, we also need to be able to have a strong group of people around us who can also succeed.  It is like the phrase, “a team is only as strong as its weakest link.”  If there is someone who needs more skills to grow in the workplace or to be successful, by mentoring this person, you are essentially strengthening the outcomes of your team.

2.  To be a strong leader, you must command respect from others, but the respect that is earned is worth so much more.  When your employees or team knows you will be there to help and guide them, and that they can trust you, you will earn more respect.  This will bring about positive, professional relationships that lead to more communication and better team dynamics.

3.  Giving time and attention to the team you work with can help you to grow and learn as well.  Even the best leader can take lessons from those who work with them.  Each team will be different and the learning possibilities are endless.  In fact, teams can change drastically just by replacing one person, or from project to project.  This focus on the team will also help with observation skills and enable a more intuitive approach with others in the future.

4.  When a leader spends more time focusing on themselves, the bottom line, or success, they miss the details, and while they may be able make strides and find success in the short-term, they may lose out in the long-term.  There are so many elements that make up the whole picture of success, and a good leader will focus on how they can give to the team and enhance the growth of the team as a whole.

5.  Servant leadership is the best way to help the team participate and it will enforce the growth of individual and group skills, as well as help the team reach their full potential.  There is less limitation, therefore, more growth.

While there are many leadership styles, and every leader has a specific way in which they operate, in many situations, servant leadership should stand out as a highly productive way for a leader to guide and encourage a team.

Rewards of Relatability in Leadership Roles!

Everyone has a concept of what they feel makes a good leader.  There are books, guides, blogs, and seminars, but to be a good leader,one must have many qualities. In fact, good leaders often have natural skills mixed with learned ones.  I have found the most effective leaders are those who are relatable.  People need to feel like they can connect to a leader on some level because if they cannot, how can this person understand them.

There are many ways to come across as relatable, but it boils down to a natural ability to connect to many different types of people through discussion and storytelling.  It is the way in which a leader expresses their innate humanity.  With so many people feeling disconnected from management and other leaders, they need more who can look them in the eye, smile, and make them realize they are heard.  Leaders need followers just as much, if not more, than followers need leaders.  A leader needs to be open, and willing to show who they are as a person.  They need to let others into their lives because it is often the challenges of a personal nature that have influenced them to grow and find success on a personal and professional level.

Storytelling is one of the most effective ways for a leader to reach others.  It is the act of speaking their truth, even the ones that are the most difficult to talk about.  It can be a realization of failures or the loss of someone close that inspired them to take the steps to become who they are today.  It could be where and how they grew up that made them realize they needed to push themselves to make a better life.  Every leader has a story, and their stories are the tool to reach others on a more personal level, by showing their humanity.  If you are working to hard to lead others, do not be afraid to relax a little and show the personable side of yourself.  Let people see who you are and where you came from because the odds are that there are others who need to hear it to be inspired.  Be relatable, and you will be rewarded.

Ingenuity is Found in Imperfection!

We all strive for a level of perfection in our lives.  We desire a perfect relationship, the perfect career, perfect children, a well organized and perfectly maintained home.  There is a sense of pride and comfort that comes from perfection as we neatly tie our hair back, brush the wrinkles from our suit before a meeting, and make sure our grammar in a document is just right.  However, the world is not perfect, and as a part of the world, humans are far from perfect.  We can do everything in our power to remove the chaos from our lives and to tie our lives into a neat package with a bow on top, but are we being true to ourselves?

The truth is we spend more time trying to create the image we desire and we think others desire when we should spend more time valuing who we are.  We are all imperfect in a beautiful way that leads to diversity, unique creations and perspectives, creativity, and innovation.  The imperfections we have make each of us special and provides the ingenuity that makes us succeed.  If we can accept ourselves for who we are, embracing the differences, we can become confident and strong.  This leads to actions built on integrity, and we become genuine individuals which is what employers want.  Employers can be assured they are getting the person they can count on, not the one with a facade that must be broken down to reveal the truth within.

As you contemplate the direction you have taken with your life, consider who you really are.  What are you most afraid of, and are you being true to yourself.  Admit your flaws, and accept your weaknesses.  Be proud of what you have done, and make changes to become better.  When you are a genuine person, you will perform at higher levels because you are happy, you are grateful, and you feel complete.  This is what we should strive for in our lives, and the masks that we use to protect ourselves should be placed on the shelf because imperfection is truly the source for ingenuity!