27 Jun Leadership Tip #2: Set a New Leadership PR! Five Daily Skills to Go Next Level!

Athletes are constantly looking for ways to improve because even the slightest improvement can lead to a new PR or Personal Record. However, it’s a different kind of PR that actually gets them to a new personal record and this is Personal Responsibility.

It is a professional athlete’s job to improve performance with every opportunity. The way that happens is to consistently show up, put in the practice, and do the work. The athletes are clear on their outcome, and while not every day moves them forward, their focus remains the same, and they return every day committed to get to the next level.

Being an effective leader requires the same determination. It is the person who accepts Personal Responsibility to consistently show up, put in the practice, and do the work on their leadership skills that will earn their PR. Leadership is not a position; it is a daily conscious choice to positively impact the people you influence.

Here is the catch, though, it’s important to understand that leadership isn’t about the people you are leading. It’s about accepting personal responsibility to be the leader. Like an athlete, we should constantly choose to work on our leadership skills. Here are five leadership skills to consciously work on every day.

1. Choose a positive attitude for yourself and make sure you are spreading that to others. What will you do to be more positive today?

2. Be present and listen to others. Turn away from your computer. Put your phone on silent. Shut off the stories in your head, and give that person 100% of your focus. Simon Sinek says “There is a difference between listening and waiting for your turn to speak.” Listen and then take action. What will you do to be more present today?

3. Invest in your own leadership development. When you grow personally, the others around you will grow. Read a book, listen to a podcast, or have lunch with a mentor. A new PR is only possible when you put in the work! What will you do to invest in your personal growth and development today?

4. Connect with your teams at work and home on a personal level. The old saying “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” is still used because it’s true. Vulnerability is the new strong. When you let them see you sweat, they will gladly sweat with you. What will you do to connect with the hearts of your team members today?

5. Check your stories so you respond rather than react. Our sub-conscious programming runs deep, and if we aren’t conscious, we will react based on an old story rather than respond to what is actually happening. In Leadership Tip #1, we talked about asking WTO? (What’s The Outcome) instead of WTF? That is the difference between responding and reacting – making conscious choices that move you towards your outcomes. What will you do to be more responsive and outcome focused today?

When you accept personal responsibility to develop your leadership skills, you will set a new leadership PR, and while you will gain tangible results from your actions, you will have already felt like you gained because of all of the intangibles. That’s what we at High5 call a win/win.