Six Ways To Become A Better Leader Today

Six Ways To Become A Better Leader Today

By Mark Wager

The path to becoming the kind of leader that you always wanted to be is a long one. It takes a lot of dedication, a lot of self reflection, a lot of learning and a lot of time. I'm a Leadership Coach and I specialise in turning struggling leaders into good leaders and good leaders into world-class leaders. I know from experience just how long these personal journeys can be yet there are things you can do today to become a better leader. These six tips that I will be sharing with you wont turn you into Nelson Mondella overnight, but you will see significant changes and most importantly your followers will see these changes too.

Tip One: List your keep,start,stop.

If you haven't heard of this before this is a simple method to start reflecting on where you need to improve. Grab a piece of paper and list the one quality that you want to keep, the one thing you want to start and the one thing you want to stop doing.

Tip Two: List your barriers.

To know what you want to start doing and what you want to stop doing, its time to ask yourself a difficult question, that is, what has stopped you taking these actions before today and more importantly why? I guarantee the actions you highlighted are not technically difficult so the answer is within you and within you are the keys to be the leader you want to be.

Tip Three: Be honest with your team.

Two essential qualities of every great leader is humility and honesty. It's time to demonstrate these qualities to your team. Tell them that you want to improve as a leader and you need their help to do so. There's a myth that people expect their leaders to be perfect, so asking for help is seen as a weakness, yet nothing could be further from the truth. I work with a lot of high level leaders all of whom share a common quality and that is they never stop learning & getting feedback from their team which is essential to this process.

Tip Four: Get as much feedback as possible.

There's a difference between how you believe you come across to people and how people actually see you. It's in this difference that lies the valuable lessons that make you a better leader. Don't get upset or offended by the feedback, even if you disagree with it. The truth is your opinion doesn't matter. As a leader it's not what you say that counts, it's what people hear. That is how a leader is measured.

Tip Five: Talk to Leaders You Respect.

They don't have to be in the same field as you are in but they have to be a leader and someone who you respect. Contact them and see if they have time to chat or have a coffee. You will be amazed at just how much you can pick up from a brief conversation. Learning theory is great but there's nothing quite like learning from someone who has been there and done that.

Tip Six: How much do you want it?

The biggest factor in determining whether you will succeed as a leader is not your qualifications. The biggest factor is how much you want it? By that I mean you don't kind of want it or you want it only if it's easy. I mean you must want it enough to work harder than you have ever done previously. In terms of developing your effectiveness to go from 0 to 80% as a leader is difficult but going from 80% to 100% is much tougher, in fact the remaining 20% is more difficult than the previous 80%. You can only achieve this if you are passionate to overcome your fears because it's your fears that separates the leader you are now and the leader you can become.

These six tips won't turn you into a world leader but they will make you a better leader and you can start today. You don't have to wait for the next leadership course or the next time I'm available for coaching. Greatness is waiting for you, but be aware that greatness doesn't wait too long, so start your journey today.

About the Author:
Mark Wager is an authority in Leadership Psychology. Mark delivers Team Building, Leadership workshops and has limited availability for selected clients for individual coaching. To see if leadership coaching is suitable for you email Mark below to enquire about a free 20 minute strategy session.

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