Having worked with countless leaders over the years in businesses, schools and professional sports I've realized that great leadership is really a transfer of belief. Great leaders share their belief, vision, purpose and passion with others and in the process they inspire others to believe, act and impact. Great leaders are positively contagious and they instill confidence and belief in others.
Great sales managers inspire their sales people to believe in themselves and their product/service. Great school principals inspire their teachers to believe they can make a difference. Great teachers inspire and empower their students to believe in themselves. Great pastors inspire their congregations to serve and impact the community. Great sports coaches inspire their teams to believe they can win. And the people who have changed the world have been those who instilled in others the confidence to step up, serve, take initiative and create positive change. You don’t need a title to be a leader. You just need to lead.
But here's the key...
As a leader, if you don't have it you can’t share it. That's why you need to make time to feed yourself with positivity each day so you can feed others. Your team needs your positive leadership so make sure you fuel yourself so you can fuel them.
TAKE ACTION
Talk to yourself instead of listen to yourself.
Dr. James Gills accomplished the remarkable feat of completing two triathlons back to back. Most of the world, including me, couldn't complete one triathlon, never mind two. Yet, Dr. James Gills, a man in his fifties, was able to complete a double triathlon six times.
When asked how he did it, he said, "I've learned to talk to myself instead of listen to myself."
He continued, "If I listen to myself I hear all the reasons why I should give up. I hear that I'm too tired-too old-too weak to make it. But if I talk to myself I can give myself the encouragement and words I need to hear to keep running and finish the race."
It's the same way with life.
Too often we listen to ourselves and hear all the complaints, self-doubt, fear and negativity that lead to unhappiness, failure and unfulfilled goals.
But instead of listening to the negative we can choose to feed ourselves with the positive. We can fuel up with words, thoughts, phrases, and beliefs that give us the strength and power to overcome our challenges and create an extraordinary life, career and team.
Take out a sheet of paper, on the left side write down your frequent negative thoughts. On the right side write down the words of encouragement you will say to yourself. When the negative thoughts appear, say the encouraging words instead. Over time this will transform your life and leadership.
Jon
