4 Actions To Becoming A Great Leader

So much has been written on the topic of leadership; depending on what lens you look through to define a leader, many different definitions can emerge. Here are 4 actions to becoming a great leader that will set you apart and have you achieve success for yourself and others:

1. The Ability to Visualize the Future: Using the right-brain creativity to imagine possibilities, a leader can capture the potential success of an idea through visualization of ideas, structures, strategies and results.

2. Set Ambitious Goals: Goal setting takes many forms. Consider using the HARD Goals framework from Mark Murphy, Leadership IQ:

– Heartfelt— the goal has an emotional attachment. It is felt at your core.
– Animated—it is motivated by your vision.
– Required—you know that there is a strong sense of urgency and that you have no other choice but to start acting on the right here, right now.
– Difficult—the greatest achievements come from the toughest challenges, the reaching the goal will leave you feeling stronger, smarter, and more fulfilled.

3. Devise an Effective Course of Action: Once strategies and goals have been established, the work of achieving those goals begins. A leader who can help others identify the right resources and anticipate the unanticipated brings extraordinary value to an organization. This is also a place to ask the right questions.

4. Inspire Others to Enthusiastically Contribute: Without effective followers, there is no leadership. Even in the midst of the many challenges to achieving a worthwhile goal, a great leader is able to keep others steady, committed, and motivated to do more than was anticipated. This is the essence of great leadership. Of course, all actions are inter-dependent. But if a leader cannot inspire others, the end result will always be less than what could have been. Research demonstrates that inspired and engaged people do their best thinking and their best work.

How can you demonstrate great leadership if you do not have an official title? Identify situations in which you have demonstrated sound leadership in a professional or personal situation. And don’t overlook those leadership roles in your family! Families form the basis of our earliest experience with leadership. What worked? What was comfortable? What was challenging? By answering these questions honestly, you will be able to gain an accurate assessment of your leadership ability. Regardless of where you are on the continuum, there is always room for growth.

So, how can YOU be a better leader? Contact Diane Allen today and request a FREE leadership competency framework model to build your leadership skills!

About the Author:
Diane Allen is a leadership development consultant and founder of the Strategic Leadership Academy (www.strategicleadershipacademy.com). She has spent over twelve years helping senior leaders and middle managers create success by building their personal and organizational leadership skills.