Focus on doing the right thing, even if it’s not popular in the moment. Developing the integrity of your character will save you heartache years in the future.
You may not always make the best decision, but you will always have a sense of what is right and wrong. So get wise counsel and learn to trust your gut.
Looking good feels great in the moment but is fleeting. Doing good lasts for a lifetime.
2. You can’t just study leadership; you have to practice it.
Reading books, participating in roundtables, listening to podcasts, receiving great coaching, etc., is required and extremely helpful. But it’s not enough by itself; you have to practice leading.
The only way to actually practice leading is to carry the responsibility of success or failure in a way that you personally feel the weight of leadership.
Practicing leadership is not pretend leadership; it’s the real thing like real doctors practice medicine. Both are an art that you learn for a lifetime.
Practicing leadership is how you become a better leader.
You can stay very busy doing the same things with the same people over and over again, or you can continually learn new and better ways and become a better leader.
This doesn’t mean you leave people behind; it means, in part, that you develop leaders to help care for an increasing number of people.
3. Be smart about how you make mistakes.
If you practice leadership, you will make mistakes; in fact, if you aren’t making mistakes, you aren’t leading.
Taking risks and making mistakes is part of the process.
But, of course, we all want to show up, shine bright, and make things happen. That’s good! But not if that makes you play it safe, please people, and have others around you carry the real weight of decision-making.
Here’s the smart way to make mistakes, don’t make the same mistake twice.
You are going to mess up; you are human. But if you make the same mistake twice, you aren’t learning, and that will catch up with you quickly.
Learn from your mistakes and lead better tomorrow.
4. Make friends with obscurity rather than chasing promotion.
Obscurity isn’t about a lifestyle or your long-term goal, but it’s very healthy for you to be comfortable with obscurity when you face it as a leader. And that’s not easy in the current culture.
For example, you won’t be invited into every meeting (think about that, it’s not really possible, let alone practical.) So why would the whole team be in every meeting? But your emotions will feel a pinch when you walk by a room and “everyone” is in there but you.
It’s OK, trust me, a day will come when you will be glad you aren’t in every meeting.
You won’t likely get a promotion really fast. That’s OK. Don’t be frustrated about what you haven’t been given, be grateful for what you have been trusted with to lead and make it better!
