9. Get comfortable being around people who are smarter than you.
Deal with your insecurities. Get comfortable being around people who are smarter than you.
It will make you better, but it’s also the key to creating an exceptional team.
If you always have to be the smartest person in the room, you’ll eventually end up in a pretty vacuous room.
10. Relentlessly pursue self-awareness.
Self-aware people make the best leaders and, frankly, are the easiest people to hang out with in life. Chances are your favorite people are people who are deeply self-aware.
But self-awareness doesn’t come naturally. I’m naturally blind to the impact I have on other people around me. So are you. If you want more on this issue, here are four things self-aware leaders know that others don’t.
11. Make peace with your weaknesses.
You’ll never be great at everything.
The sooner you get used to that, the better off you’ll be. Eventually you’ll stop trying to cover up and stop feeling so bad about yourself. That’s progress.
12. Pour increasing amounts of energy into your strengths.
Once you realize you’re only great at a few things, you’re free to become even greater at them.
Pour your time, energy and resources into what you do very best. That’s the difference between being good at something and the being best in the world.
13. Get comfortable with solitude.
Solitude is a thoughtful leader’s best friend. It also is a key to self-awareness.
If you really want to grow as a person and as a leader, and grow in your relationship with God, get comfortable with solitude. I wrote more about solitude and how to practice it here.
14. Wrestle down your pride.
Pride is ugly. It gets you into trouble again and again.
The only person to whom your pride looks appealing is you. Think about it … you don’t like pride in anyone but yourself.
So pray it out. Beat it out. Do what you need to do to wrestle it down.
15. Fight cynicism.
The more you know, the harder it gets to stay hopeful (the Scripture points this out by the way).
Cynics never change the world; they just tell you why the world doesn’t change.
Don’t be one. Check the cynicism that’s growing inside you.
16. Kill selfish ambition.
Ambition isn’t bad. In fact, it can change the world.
Selfish ambition is bad. It can destroy the world.
So be ambitious, but be ambitious for the sake of a cause that’s far bigger than you are.
17. Don’t give into stupid temptations that will come your way.
You will be tempted to do stupid things. Don’t.
Don’t have an affair, take short cuts or cheat to get ahead.
It’s so not worth it.
18. Find the high road and live on it.
The high road is the hard road. But it’s the best road.
People will try to pull you off the high road again and again. Don’t.
Take it. Every time.
