"Amazing Leadership!"; experience true work/life harmony as you evolve professionally and personally!

I’ve recently heard a quote, regarding leadership, that absolutely floored me in a positive way; making me stop in my tracks. I love those moments; as they are the moments we are engulfed with feelings of respect, motivation, and ideas. An owner of a company said, “It’s not our job to serve our customers… it’s our job to amaze them!”. Wow! I thought evolving from leadership to Servant Leadership was special and the way to go, but things are always evolving and the evolution is… Amazing Leadership!!!

Although the owner of the company was referring to business leadership; I stress to you as a reader and anyone that attends my seminars… everyone can be a leader if you choose to be! Whether you’re the CEO of the company, the custodian, in a relationship, with your friends, or with your kids… YOU can be a leader; depending on how you choose to show up. How do you show up as a professional? As a Partner? A Parent? As a person? Let’s find out how to do it amazingly!

Personal Leadership

This is the first aspect of true leadership. Too many times, people are promoted to positions of leadership simply because they did one thing really well. A person sells a million dollars’ worth of product… they become the manager or supervisor. A player scores a thousand points… they become the captain. Their ability cannot be denied, but their ability doesn’t mean they know how to lead. Personal Leadership is how you positively show up, day-in and day-out, professional and personally in a way that makes people want to follow you because they enjoy and respect how you are and who you are. THEN… we add some hard-leadership skills; making it easier for them to follow and easier for you to lead!

Personal Leadership can be simplified by us choosing to arrive with a smile and energetic and ready to do what we have signed up for. Can you show up to your job, your relationship, your kids, etc. with a smile… ready and willing to do what you signed up for? Personal Leadership is choosing to stay positive, celebrating big and small success, and seeing failures and setbacks as learning points and opportunities! It’s choosing to use positive language and consistently building those up around you professionally and personally!

Lastly, leaders know that he/she isn’t for everyone. At work and at home… some people are positive, ready, and willing for your personal leadership. Some are not! You are for “The Ready”, but your job is to be consistent… so when “The Not Ready” get ready… they know where to go… and you are still YOU!

Anticipate

Amazing Leadership means you are not shocked and knocked off-kilter by everything that occurs. We must anticipate! Professionally, as a leader… you must know that change must happen. Things will not stay the same forever. Paperwork will rarely decrease and mostly increase, leadership will change, policies will change, employees will leave, customers will get angry, mistakes will happen, business seasons will ebb and flow from abundant to desolate.

Amazing Leaders understand, accept, and thrive because they’ve anticipated it and developed a process to maximize the benefits of each change; wanted or unwanted! Personally, as a leader… you know your relationship will ebb and flow as you get to go through dating, marriage, babies, house, and such. As a parent… you anticipate not sleeping for the first few years, then having your kids as your best buds, then knocking on bedroom doors just to get a glimpse of there face and actual eyeballs, them leaving the house, only later to get them back as they start having their own families and calling you for help again. Leaders are willing to ride the rollercoaster, but have stepped back first to look at it, accept it, anticipate, and impact it for the better!

Empathy

In this new age of Amazing Leadership, I’m not implying leaders to be soft. This is not Soft Leadership, it’s Amazing Leadership… and that will imply us having empathy. We must have our vision, expectations, and boundaries professionally and personally; it’s that empathy that keeps us humble and willing to be amazing for your people. How do you understand your employees, employers, partner, and kids? What do they need most from you right now? Why? Many people in positions of leadership are ready to give what they want to give (which inherently is a positive thing); but Amazing Leadership is providing what they need; not only what’s easiest for you to give! To know what your people truly need takes that extra work of true connection, empathy, and willingness.

If what they need is reasonable, doable, and fair… then why not? If not, how do you brainstorm and collaborate to make something happen and be transparent in explaining why, how, or why not?

Deliver

Willingness can only take your leadership so far. If your kids were willing to do the dishes but don’t do them… are the dished done? No! Willingness is a great step, but not the last step. Results are everything… do you deliver? Deliver to your employees, employer, partner, your kids? Be willing to follow-through and set an example and expectation of Amazing Leadership!

Enjoy your EVOLUTION as you evolve your leadership from good to Amazing and become the leader you are capable of!

“If you want to increase your income, your status, your respect, and worth… first, start by increasing your value and enhancing your personal leadership!”

                                                                            – Andre Young

written by: Andre Young

Take the pain out of your organization with Andre Young's on-site Leadership Program and Speaking Engagements; enhancing Leadership & Work/Life Harmony in your Company, your Employees, and Teams! www.youevolvingnow.com