I know that there are way too many books, videos, blogs, courses and posts about leadership to count. But I’ve found through my own experience—owning, running and coaching businesses—that only one characteristic is the most important if you want to get better results. Without this characteristic, none of the others matter. And, with this characteristic, nothing is impossible.
You have to be willing to change.
That’s right, leadership is not about changing others. It’s about changing yourself. In all my business leadership coaching, I always work to nurture my client’s ability to work on their self and integrate feedback (in whatever form it shows up for you), which is key to success in any leadership role. You have to develop the skill to ask this one question, every time: “What can I do better?”
When You Need This Star Quality
Here are the most important situations in which you’ll need this star quality:
- When you’re frustrated with your staff.
- When you’re frustrated with your clients.
- When you’re frustrated with partners or other stakeholders.
- Anytime you’re not getting the results you want.
Have a look at this TED Talk called, “Great Leadership Starts With Self-Leadership” which goes in-depth on the importance of managing yourself before you try to manage the rest of your team:
You Can Only Control One Person—Yourself
“But sometimes other people should change,” you say. I know, it’s not fair, is it? Trust me, I say still say this (out loud usually) to myself on occasion. The truth is, it doesn’t matter if other people are wrong, or if other people “should change!” You can only control one person… yourself. So get to work on integrating this important characteristic in every situation you can, and enjoy the benefits that I know will follow!
For more information, check out this article from imd.org on why being a leader is about changing yourself, not those around you.
If you need more help becoming an amazing leader, contact TMH Business Coaching and Consulting today for a confidential, free, no-obligation consultation to propel you forward. Also, please feel free to add yourself to our weekly coaching tips email!
