Use
your relationships with mentors and your research on great leaders as models or
reference points to work from, but never copy or imitate them like a parrot.
Everyone
has vastly different leadership styles. History books are filled with leaders
who are soft-spoken, introverted, and quiet, all the way to the other extreme
of being outspoken, extroverted, and loud, and everything in between.
 |
| Ghandi |
A
quiet and simple Gandhi or a soft-spoken peanut farmer named Jimmy Carter, who
became president of the United States and won a Nobel Peace Prize, have been
just as effective world leaders as a loud and flamboyant Churchill, or the tough
leadership style employed by The Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher.
 |
| Jimmy Carter |
 |
| Margaret Thatcher |
 |
| Daniel Goleman |
I admire Daniel Goleman as a leadership academic and writer. But if I copy Daniel Goleman, I’d be a
second or third rate Goleman, at best, instead of a first rate Janette Sheerman. Be
yourself, your best self, always competing against yourself and bettering
yourself, and you will become a first rate YOU instead of a second rate
somebody else.
So what or who influences your leadership?
One of John
Maxwell’s more famous quotes is “Leadership
is influence. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Do you agree with
this philosophy? Influence can cause people to willingly follow you; not
because they have to, but because they choose to. Influence sways people. It
impacts them, possibly even enough to change a belief or a behaviour. A strong
influencer can gain much power, and an ethical influencer will gain people’s
trust as well.
As you’re busy
trying to build and extend your influence outwardly, how much attention do you
pay to what’s influencing you inwardly?
It’s important to
understand what builds into your beliefs, opinions, values, thoughts and
behaviors. It’s those things and people that you surround yourself with – your
environment – that ultimately affects who you are and what you become. These
are your influencers,
and you need to make good choices with them if you intend to get closer to your
leadershipgoals.
I’d like to
suggest that you take some time to consider who and what is influencing you.
Are they helping you to become a better
leader or person? Are there people you are letting “in” that you shouldn’t? Are
there people you are shutting out that could help you improve?
Let’s ask the “5
Ws and How.”
WHO – Who do you admire most and why? Are you
spending time with them? Have you asked them to help you develop the leadership
skills you admire about them? Are there people you associate with regularly who
aren’t in alignment with your values? Do you seek different viewpoints from
people who have different backgrounds and experiences, but who share your same
values? Find those people who will sharpen you like iron sharpening iron.
WHAT - What are you reading, watching and
listening to? How are they helping you to grow or achieve? What gaps have you
identified between where you are and where you want to be, and what will help
you close the gaps? What things distract you from meeting or advancing toward
your goals? What affects your mood, energy level and creative vision?
Understand what makes a difference for you.
WHEN - When are you most productive throughout
the day, and are you using your time wisely during that period? When do you
rejuvenate and are you allowing yourself the time to do so? When is it easiest
for you to lose focus of your goals and how can you keep yourself on target?
When do you feel drained and can you minimise those times? Manage your time wisely
and effectively.
WHERE - Where do you need to be to get your best
work done? Where are you most likely to get distracted from doing the tasks
that need to be completed? Where in a current project would you benefit from
leveraging the expertise of someone else? Where would you like to be five years
from now and what tools, resources and people will help or hurt you from
getting there?
WHY – What’s your why? What drives you to
become better and who will support that? And who won’t? Your values and beliefs
carry your why. They fuel your purpose. Be clear on your purpose and
communicate it to others for buy-in.
If you’re not clear or passionate about your why, you can kiss your own
influence goodbye!
HOW – How will you accomplish your goals? What
does your plan look like and who will be a supporter or an obstacle? How can
you further develop and grow as a leader? How will you manage your plan? How
will you remain accountable to your plan? Who and what tools can help you?
Go
ahead. Really think about each of these questions. Consider what people, tools
and resources are positive influences, as well as what takes you further away
from your goals.
Keep in mind that
you want to increase your own influence as leader. You’ll be most effective
when you become clear on these questions and you build a support system for
your success.
