Excellence in Preparation: 5 Ways to Develop Leadership Skills

  Have you ever felt unprepared or ill-equipped to lead the people around you? I have been in leadership and worked with leaders for some time, and I can tell you that these feelings are normal. Even the most successful and effective leaders have moments of insecurity and doubt. If you never took time to reflect on your ability to lead, you would never experience growth. Asking questions and evaluating yourself are important steps toward leading with grace and excellence. There is more to leadership than just making decisions; the best leaders ask questions and reflect. As leaders, we carry the weight and responsibility of leading others. However, we are still human. We are flawed and we make mistakes; quite often, the moments in which we question our abilities flow out of these inevitable hiccups. So what are we to do when we are in the midst of these moments? How can we handle that self-doubt? I believe the key to overcoming doubt and hesitation is preparation. When you prepare, you are able to move forward. Preparation can look like many different things. Sometimes it means making a plan; other times it means practicing. If you can practice leading in your personal life, you will be guaranteed success in your professional life. Here are five things you can do to prepare to lead with excellence.  

1. Know yourself.

   You will find it impossible to lead to the best of your ability if you do not know yourself. Last week on the blog, we talked about the importance of discovering identity. Leadership is about more than just saying the right things; it is about being genuine and honest. The best leaders are aware of their strengths as well as their weaknesses. When you know yourself, you can play to your giftings and manage your shortcomings.

 

2. Invest in yourself.

   Now that you know yourself, you have to invest in yourself. I read an article recently that encompassed this concept in such a great way. The article said that investing in leadership development not only helps in the moment, but that it also prepares you for what comes next. An investment in yourself is not short-sited; it is a commitment to the future. An investment in yourself is an investment in long-term success.

 

3. Lead yourself.

   Who or what orders your life? Is it your emotions or stress? Do you make decisions with care and intentionality or are you constantly putting out fires? The driving force behind your decisions is an indicator of what is leading your life. When you lead yourself, you make decisions, set objectives, and operate with an understanding of the big picture. When you lead yourself, you do not operate out of panic or emotional responses. Lead yourself first and it will be that much easier to lead others.

 

4. Experience private victory.

   As you lead yourself, you will set goals and objectives. Make sure you see those things through to completion. Experience personal wins! Private victory always precedes public success. There is a lot of work that needs to be done behind the scenes before you can lead others. Give yourself a chance to get that work done and experience private victories.

 

5. Lead your family.

   This one is huge. Your family is your greatest responsibility and your highest priority. If you cannot lead your family, you will be unable to lead anyone else. Your family also knows you extremely well; they know the good, the bad, and the really ugly. If you can inspire trust and respect from the people who know you that well, you can earn the loyalty of just about anyone.

  Preparation is the best way to manage fear and doubt. You cannot predict the future, but you can prepare for it. Spend some time developing as a leader. There is always room to grow. Remember, you don’t need to change everything today; you just need to be a little bit better than you were yesterday. You’ve got this.   [jotform id=”51954776646168″]]]>