Think back to a person you have looked up to in life. Was it a pastor? An older sibling? A teammate? Whoever it was, they had an influence on you for a reason; that person embodied a persona of a leader.
What is a Leader?
According to Jacob Morgan via Chief Learning Officer, a leader is “someone who can see how things can be improved and who rallies people to move toward that better vision. Leaders can work toward making their vision a reality while putting people first.” When reading this definition, the people you look up to in life probably come to mind.
You may be wondering, how do I embody a personality that has other people looking up to me, or how do I have a greater influence on those who look up to me? Tony Robbins gives seven skills that I believe can tremendously help improve leadership abilities:
- Work on your emotional fitness – be ready for anything and the person people turn to when they need stability
- Practice self-awareness – be aware of your work brand
- Adopt a growth mindset – challenge yourself to grow
- Support others – creating trust and building rapport within the workplace
- Think strategically – having a plan to get your goal and the determination to enact it
- Be innovative – find a way to differentiate yourself with fresh ideas
- Take on more responsibility – don’t be afraid to ask for what you want
How to Implement Robbins’s Seven Skills
These are all great starting points to develop leadership qualities. However, you may be wondering how do I implement these and measure their success?
Setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (S.M.A.R.T.) is a great way to measure how you are doing at implementing Robbins’s methods of improving leadership abilities.
Let’s take points 2 and 3 to develop a S.M.A.R.T. goal. One of the best ways to become self-aware and adopt a growth mindset is to read personal development books. Some of my favorites are How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile, and The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Make it a goal to read one book a month and read for 10 minutes before going to sleep at night.
Do you have any other goals towards leadership in the workplace? If so, leave your goals and how you are measuring them below in the comments!
