You are a Leader, whether you want to be or not:)

If you buy into the idea that leadership is influence, then we are all leaders, right?  Whether you are employed or at home, working as a mother, father, friend, brother, or sister, you are exercising leadership. One does not have to be in a place of management or oversight to be a leader; leadership is a matter of perspective.

“Belief Drives Behavior”

In order to influence others, we must lead ourselves first. Think for a moment about the various areas of life such as relationships, career, health, finances, spiritual life, and volunteerism, where opportunities to lead often arise. 

Looking inwardly, how does your behavior model what we think is important in leadership?   What kind of leader are you and how well do you exhibit leadership in all areas of your life? 

You will not be perfect every day, in every facet of life, but you and I are all works in progress. The key is, are you satisfied with where you are today, and are you striving to grow, learn, and be better every day?

We live in a fear-based, negative culture, where many of us have become desensitized to the impacts of our cultural environment and how it affects our own attitudes and ability to lead positively.

If the saying, “Belief Drives Behavior” is true, does your belief about yourself impact how you come across to others?

Are You A Positive Influence or….? 

Are you a positive or negative influence?  How does your own outlook affect what you do on a given day, does it set a positive or negative tone in your environment, and does it impact your ability to lead….influence?

 A number of years ago I worked at a company where the President was always suspicious of others; he constantly berated people and assumed the worst, complaining about everything and everyone. 

I had no respect for him and struggled to work well in such a toxic environment. He did not get the best performance out of those of us who reported to him.  (In fact, my primary goal was to get out of there!)

In contrast, I have also had the privilege of working with incredible leaders who modeled constant learning, demonstrated respect and grace for others, and focused on solutions (versus focusing on the problems).  

Their leadership encouraged a highly productive environment in the workplace while invigorating and inspiring those around them.  

How can we behave each day to inspire others?  

As influencers, how can we behave each day to inspire others?  

Is it possible to create an environment where those around us thrive because we focus on solutions instead of complaining? 

Does our attitude project optimism and encouragement? 

How can we realistically address the issues and problems we face, while being cognitive of our own impact on others? 

Is there anything we need to change or do differently? Of course, there is...it’s just a matter of having awareness and taking action to improve so we can be a role model.

Leadership at its core is a choice...

Leadership, at its core, is a choice we make each day to act positively and inspire others to do the same. Influence is born from leadership and can be reflected in others to inspire confidence and increase productivity.  

Take the time to invest in learning the skills to improve your influence. Read/listen (audible) books, listen to podcasts, watch Ted Talks, converse with leaders that you admire. It starts with you and it starts with me. 

What if we all invested in being the best leaders possible….the most inspiring influencers possible...how much better would this world be for all of us??? Who wants to be thought of as a great influencer and who wants to be around one? Me!!

How about you?

I would love to hear from you,  leave a comment sharing or connect on Facebook or Instagram with your thoughts…