In business we can be casual observers – taking the lead from another’s initiatives and only then engaging on a whole new level. We are all guilty of it because it’s easy to do. With all that is going on in our lives we can find any number of excuses to be content with “business as usual.” We put our nose to the grind and keep chugging along. Thinking someone else will motivate or compel us to do stretch ourselves. But I would argue that when we take this approach we leave too much on the table.
To really leverage our professional life and take it to the next level it’s vital to keep learning. But I believe the most impactful learning is learning to lead. We can look to history and major corporations for examples of influential and highly respected leaders – people like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Pope John Paul II, or George Washington. It may seem on the surface that leadership was/is easy for them or that they were born to lead. Yet while some personalities may be better suited to lead, leadership is a skill like any other. It requires practice, attention to detail, and putting forth one’s best effort. It also requires discipline, consistency, and humility.
Learning to lead has numerous benefits when it comes to improving our business:
- It helps us develop a more consultative role in sales.
- We learn to effectively honor different personality types.
- We are better equipped to address the needs of multiple individuals within an organization that we are working with with diplomacy.
- We learn that personal growth can be painful, but it’s only through that pain that we can achieve more.
- We open ourselves to the scrutiny of others, which teaches us to rely more on our instinct and improve on our discernment skills.
- It takes us out of our comfort zone and enables us to see things from a new perspective, giving us a deeper appreciation for all those who put themselves out there to lead.
Remember, contentment means we are taking it easy on ourselves. It also means we are selling ourselves short.
Keep it disciplined.