Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound. - James Allen

Studying Leadership

Being or becoming an effective leader means being a serious student of leadership, and not being a leadership expert. A plan for constant reflection, evaluation, study, and planning is common among great leaders. Let's reflect on our own skills today.

Look at the list and ask yourself, "Is there a pattern here?" Then ask, "Am I willing to do something about it?"

You are doing too much and your team is accomplishing too little
You set goals that don't happen and you constantly revise the due dates
Your vision is inspiring to you, but no one else gets it
You can't get your to-dos finished on most days
You are giving up days off and holidays
Believe it or not, these are very, very common problems with leaders in many types of organizations. When I ask if they are willing to do something about it, I get a wide variety of answers, including the following:

I don't have time to do anything more...
My team just isn't up to par...
It will cost too much to work on it...
I'm doing everything possible and nothing works...
And...It doesn't matter, the situation is hopeless and nobody will change...
These answers are what I classify as denial. I define it as denial because the leader has a lack of self-awareness and is not thinking about the consequences of his or her actions or lack of actions. The leader typically is not willing to change his or her patterns due to this denial.

Here's the first question to ask yourself: "Am I willing to change myself and to begin a journey of personal growth and self-discovery to achieve my vision?" Next ask, "Am I willing to do what it takes to improve myself in order to improve my results?"

I'd like to hear your answers. Please comment below, then let's schedule a time to talk about your revelations or lack thereof.

I learn something from every person I meet. How about you?