A vast majority of those in positions of leadership experience significant periods of self-doubt, and/or some sort of insecurity. Their hopes, goals and aspirations may be pure and beneficial, especially at the onset, but once thrust into the often-challenging world of leadership, they sometimes become either overwhelmed, inadequate (in terms of preparation, skills, experience, expertise, aptitude and/or attitude), or begin to question their fitness and willingness to truly become a real leader, and do all that being one, entails. When asked if they would like to be an effective, quality leader, nearly everyone would reply that they would, yet upon closer examination, while many talk-the-talk, few of them end up walking-the-walk! Therefore, this short article, will attempt to provide some basic guidelines, in a mnemonic, directed way, to generate the skills and abilities to differentiate between minor and major issues, pick and choose, where to expend the most time, energy and resources, and thus, maximize the ability to WIN the important battles. Before we begin, it is very important to realize that winning does not necessarily mean you must defeat anyone else, but rather that you are capable of identify a need, concern or priority, and tackle it directly, in a successful, sustainable manner.
1. Who; what; when; where; why: You will never win, if you don't begin the process by knowing, understanding and addressing these 5 W's. Why is this a priority and what will need to be done? When will you do so, and what is your timeline, in a step-by-step, action plan, approach? Who will you get to join in, and work with you, and who will you develop, as a future, quality leader? Where do you hope to go, and how will you get there? Which alternative will you opt to prioritize, and what will be you backup, or contingency plan?
2. Identify; initiate/instigate; imagination; integrity; ideas/ideology: How will you identify what needs to be done, and the priorities involved? Will you be willing to step forward and truly lead, by initiate the often-challenging discussions, and become the principal instigator and/ or protagonist, to pursue the best course of action? Are you stuck in the past, or do you have the imagination, to imagine things as they should be, and how to get there? What is your ideology, and which ideas are the most central and important? Above all, are you the rare leader, who will maintain absolute integrity?
3. Needs-oriented; learn nuances; never say never: What is your attitude, and will you consistently avoid reverting (or converting) to negativity and rhetoric? Are you motivated and propelled forward, by the needs of your organization, and its constituents, and will you become a servant leader? Are you willing to understand the uniqueness of the group, and utilize the best nuanced approach, to motivate your stakeholders to positive action? Are you a never-say-never-type of individual?
Becoming a truly effective, quality, meaningful leader, rarely just happens! You must prepare, prioritize, and learn how to WIN the important battles!
Richard has owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, and Director of Development, as well as a consultant. He has professionally run events, consulted to over a thousand leaders, and conducted personal development seminars, for over 30 years. Rich has written three books and wel
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