How to Be a Successful and Effective Leader

There’s no one way to be a successful leader.

Yeah, duh, Jessica.

Let me explain more. Leaders take different paths, make different decisions, and begin in different ways.

And no matter who they are, where they came from, or how they started, they all share one thing in common. At one time, they doubted their abilities, second guessed themselves, and questioned their decisions.

Whether they were just starting off, mid-level, or at the height of their career, this inner game comes with the territory. What leaders also learn to do is to go with it.

Make a decision and tweak and adjust along the way. Doubt your abilities, but don’t allow that doubt to create stagnation. Do the very next thing. Second guess yourself and do it anyway.

It can be easy for doubt, second guessing and questioning to become your go-to when you’re making decisions, especially decisions that affect a lot of other people or when millions of dollars are on the line.

Don’t let this inner communication become the very thing that gets you stuck. When you play too many brain games and get stuck in your head, it becomes much harder to get out of it. The more you think about something, the more you’ll continue to think about it and focus on it…many time to your detriment.

Often times, people in leadership roles are too scared to make a decision, so they just don’t make a decision (which in fact, not making a decision is still a decision). This fear paralyzes you and holds you back from even more greatness. If you do it too much, indecision will become a habit, and probably without your realizing it.

Here’s the secret to being a successful and effective leader…

Give yourself grace. Be patient with your good leadership skills. Allow them to develop. Your leadership abilities will grow and blossom over time. Pay attention to when, where, and how you doubt, second guess, and question yourself.

Is it right before an important meeting? Is it before you talk to your team? Is it in doing a project? Is it after a client conversation?

When you know the when, where, and how it happens, you can be more prepared and adaptable when it comes up. Being aware of your inner communication as a leader is the first step in being a successful and effective leader.

And through it all, know you’re not alone. Every leader goes through their own inner games. It’s the ones who know how to be aware, prepared, and adjust who are the leaders that high performing teams will follow anywhere.

What is your inner dialogue around your leadership skills? What do you need to improve your leadership abilities? How can you become more aware of yourself as a successful leader?