Top 10 Qualities That Make a Great Leader - part 2 of 2

By Tanya Prive

Commitment

If you expect your team to work hard and produce quality content, you’re going to need to lead by example. There is no greater motivation than seeing the boss down in the trenches working alongside everyone else, showing that hard work is being done on every level. By proving your commitment to the brand and your role, you will not only earn the respect of your team, but will also instill that same hardworking energy among your staff. It’s important to show your commitment not only to the work at hand, but also to your promises. If you pledged to host a holiday party, or uphold summer Fridays, keep your word. You want to create a reputation for not just working hard, but also be known as a fair leader. Once you have gained the respect of your team, they are more likely to deliver the peak amount of quality work possible.

You want to keep your team motivated towards the continued success of the company, and keep the energy levels up. Whether that means providing snacks, coffee, relationship advice, or even just an occasional beer in the office, remember that everyone on your team is a person. Keep the office mood a fine balance between productivity and playfulness.

If your team is feeling happy and upbeat, chances are they won’t mind staying that extra hour to finish a report, or devoting their best work to the brand.

Creativity

Some decisions will not always be so clear-cut. You may be forced at times to deviate from your set course and make an on the fly decision. This is where your creativity will prove to be vital. It is during these critical situations that your team will look to you for guidance and you may be forced to make a quick decision. As a leader, it’s important to learn to think outside the box and to choose which of two bad choices, is the best option. Don’t immediately choose the first or easiest possibility; sometimes it’s best to give these issues some thought, and even turn to your team for guidance. By utilizing all possible options before making a rash decision, you can typically reach the end conclusion you were aiming for.

Intuition

When leading a team through uncharted waters, there is no roadmap on what to do. Everything is uncertain, and the higher the risk, the higher the pressure. That is where your natural intuition has to kick in. Guiding your team through the process of your day-to-day tasks can be honed down to a science. But when something unexpected occurs, or you are thrown into a new scenario, your team will look to you for guidance. Drawing on past experience is a good reflex, as is reaching out to your mentors for support. Eventually though, the tough decisions will be up to you to decide and you will need to depend on your gut instinct for answers. Learning to trust yourself is as important as your team learning to trust you.

Ability to Inspire

Creating a business often involves a bit of forecasting. Especially in the beginning stages of a startup, inspiring your team to see the vision of the successes to come is vital. Make your team feel invested in the accomplishments of the company. Whether everyone owns a piece of equity, or you operate on a bonus system, generating enthusiasm for the hard work you are all putting in is so important. Being able to inspire your team is great for focusing on the future goals, but it is also important for the current issues. When you are all mired deep in work, morale is low, and energy levels are fading, recognize that everyone needs a break now and then. Acknowledge the work that everyone has dedicated and commend the team on each of their efforts. It is your job to keep spirits up, and that begins with an appreciation for the hard work.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyaprive/2012/12/19/top-10-qualities-that-make-a-great-leader/

7 Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt

By Heidi Alexandra Pollard 

Have you ever struggled with itty, bitty, niggly self-doubt? It can be exhausting can't it, however it needn’t stop you - it just means that you're human! 

Here are 7 Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt when you find yourself coming across that niggly stuff:

1. Let go of the need to know HOW you will achieve your vision. You likely do not know how you will create your dream, your business or your next promotion, especially not in the beginning. That is the way it is supposed to be! We often end up doubting ourselves when can’t see HOW we can create what we want. Or, sometimes we think of one way that to create it and think that we aren't capable of doing it. Let go of this kind of thinking and trust that if you have a vision that excites you, you have within you what it takes to create it. Instead of focusing on the HOW focus on the WHO, ie: get a clear mental picture and a sense of WHO you need to be to achieve the goal you desire.

2. Start with WHY you want to achieve the goal, what the benefits of it are and how it relates to your values and bigger picture. Remind yourself of how important your dream is to you.Let yourself get excited, these positive emotions will energize your vision and allow it come to you faster. If you want to get really clear on the power of getting clarity about your why watch this popular Ted Talk featuring Simon Sinek. This reminder of why your vision is important to you can help you set that doubt aside. Let go of needing to know the HOW before you step forward and simply trust that you will be given what you need to make it a reality, when you need it.(if you want more help with creating this way of thinking I recommend you read Bob Proctor’s book You Were Born Rich).

3. Make a Decision and a Commitment. Once you define your dream or goal, decide that you want to live this way. This may seem basic but many people never decide and commit fully to their dream. They simply keep “thinking” about it and then when the first obstacle appears and they give up. Make a commitment to yourself. Right now is not the time to worry about how to make it happen, or how you are going to move through your challenges. Instead, plant the seed of your dream inside of you and you commit to loving this seed until the day you can harvest the fruits of your efforts. Honor your commitment to self for no other reason than because you want it. There are no should’s, have to’s, or weak choices.

4. Be a witness to the voice of self-doubt. As you notice the voice of doubt coming up, watch the thoughts that come up like an observer rather than participating in them. Recognize that it is the voice of the part of you that wants to keep you the same and to keep you in familiar territory. Release the need to fight it, simply allow the doubt to be expressed and move on. Recognise that you are not your fear. Fear is not all of who you are, rather it is an emotion that you are experiencing. The key is to recognize your fear just notice it and then keep breathing. Breathing keeps energy moving and prevents you from being consumed in fear’s heavy embrace. From a language perspective instead of saying “I am fearful,” learn instead to say, “There is a part of me that is fearful and doesn’t want to move forward, and there is also a part of me that desires to continue moving forward.”

5. Ink it, don’t just think it. In your mind, they tend to endlessly repeat themselves and keep you stuck. Get out a piece of paper and write out all of the doubts and fears that come to mind. On a clean sheet of paper write down positive statements around why you CAN create your vision. Maybe you are downplaying your strengths and abilities, list these on this paper as well. When you are done, read over the doubts one last time, then tear the paper into tiny pieces and throw it away. Read over your positive statements and let the positive emotions and a feeling of confidence take over. Keep these positive statements and read them every day to remind yourself that "I am good enough!"

6. Build Your Confidence Muscle. Although achieving your dream will bring up stress, fear, doubt, this experience is precisely what is necessary for a confidence breakthrough to occur. Sure, it's easy to make self-supporting choices in good times, the challenge is to do it when times are tough. I often say you have to have a breakdown before you can have a breakthrough. You can’t dance around it, wish it away, or analyze how to avoid the experience. Making self-empowering decisions under stress is what leads you authentic personal growth and solidifies inner change. 

7. Decide You Don’t Have To Do Anything. Here is an experiment. For the next 24 hours, eliminate the words “I have to” from your vocabulary and substitute the words “I choose to.” Instead of saying, “I have to move forward on my goal” say, “I choose to take this specific action step today.” Or, you could just as effectively say, “I choose not to take any action today.” In a similar vein instead of writing out your "to-do List" write a "Choice List" of all the things you choose to do today. Any of these choices says to your unconscious mind that you set the priorities. You are responsible. Take back control and feel how empowering this simple change of words can be.

Self-doubt is likely something that you will face on the path to creating your business or building your career, but that is no reason to stop moving forward. Take a few minutes to readjust your focus using the tips above and you will be feeling better and more confident, ready to move forward again!

Source:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-ways-overcome-self-doubt-pollard-company-culture-architect

Your Daily Quote - Determination

“It’s not about money or connections — it’s the willingness to outwork and outlearn everyone… And if it fails, you learn from what happened and do a better job next time.”
Mark Cuban

“When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal, you do not change your decision to get there.”Zig Ziglar

Your Daily Quote - Challenges

As you grow and succeed - in your life, in your business, problems and challenges do not disappear, but they are of a higher quality.
Elena Alexandrova-Long

From one type of choices and problems

... to higher-quality ones

Anthony Robbins - Take Action

A great recording of Tony Robbins on the drivers of Taking ACTION.

A real decision is when you CUT OFF any possibilities, except what you are committed to.

Enjoy!

Elena Alexandrova

Jim Rohn - Use Your Own Mind

Don't be a follower - be a student

Take advice but not orders

Make sure what you do is the product of your own conclusion...

Your Daily Quote - Commitment, Love

Love is an unconditional commitment to an imperfect person.

To love somebody isn’t just a strong feeling. It is a decision, a judgement and a promise.

Tony Robbins - on Achieving Financial Success

How does the idea of accumulation of additional capital make you feel?

What is your neuro-association with making money?

What do you choose to drive you - pain, pleasure or comfort?



Tony talks about helping free the flow of Abundance.

You are truly wealthy!