If you do a Google search for great leaders, you’ll find list after list of leaders that changed the world. They are varied and all have merit: JFK, Nelson Mandela, Ben Franklin, Jack Welch, Rosa Parks, Steve Jobs, Oprah, to name a few. What do they all have in common? 1) None of them are perfect 2) None of them are YOU.
Imagine if you let go of the corporate-speak, fear of judgment, and your own need to be perfect and simply connected with others as one human being to another.
If you’re one person talking to another person:
- Your solutions don’t come first, your relationship with the other person is paramount
- You pause and truly listen instead of listening to the “I-need-to-sound-smart self-talk” that is running through your mind
- You no longer focus on the faults of others but instead look for strengths because you know that you have your own challenges to overcome
- You discover what motivates and inspires others with the desire to bring more of what brings them alive into their lives
- You care about the other person. They are not a worker bee or a prospect that is a target. They too have the fears, needs, desires, and wants – just like you.
How do you find yourself in the corporate persona that you have developed over time? Take a look inside and reconnect with your core leadership values. It’s what you unconsciously use to make decisions every single day. Being intentional about consistently living and demonstrating your values will not only give you the freedom to fully show up with passion and confidence but also allow others to know who you are as a leader and as a human being.
What are your values? Get clear on who you are and what you believe.
Ask yourself:
- What drives me nuts? Why?
- What lights my fire? Why?
- What is my proudest moment? Why?
- What was my most embarrassing moment? Why?
- What will I no longer tolerate? Why?
- What do I stand for?
Take a stand for connecting and leading as YOU. Do the work! Role models are great, authentic leadership is even better… and the world needs YOU.
What are some of your personal leadership values? What did you discover?
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