Are You Prepared for Your Leadership Journey?

When I ask a question like this, it presupposes something – that you believe that leadership is a journey. So while I want you to consider whether or not you are ready for your leadership journey, I am starting by suggesting that you must see it as a journey before you can prepare for it.

Given that supposition, I ask the question again. Are you prepared for your leadership journey?

Like any journey, your success depends on your preparation. Here five things you can do to prepare for your leadership journey.

Make a decision

You won’t take any trip until you decide to go. Recognize that the leader you are isn’t the leader you can be. Recognize the potential that is within you. You can’t prepare for a journey you don’t want to take. To help you make the decision, and take the action after the decision is made, do the next item immediately!

Clarify your purpose

Any journey will take effort and your leadership journey is no different. In order to stay on the path, you must have a clear reason to be traveling. Ask yourself: Why do you want to be a more effective leader? What benefits will come to you when are you more effective? What difference do you want to make?

When your answers to these questions are heartfelt and clear, you will keep walking the path, knowing that the effort is worth it. If you don’t have a clear answer to why you are on your leadership journey, you will likely stop far too soon.

Look for role models

One of the most powerful ways to learn over time is to observe the masters. Who do you see who is leading effectively that you know you can learn from? These can be people around you, in the national spotlight, or even historical leaders. As long as there are opportunities to observe, either directly or indirectly, you can learn from them.

Stretch your observations beyond the immediately obvious tactics. Strive to understand the principles that they are applying to get consistently good results.

Find the right inputs

Your role models are one input, but you will want and need more. You will want a variety of media – video, audio, reading, as well as live experiences, coaching conversations, and more. The good news is that there are more of these inputs available than ever – and many of them are free or nearly so. The problem with this “good news” is that we can’t use it all. We must find, follow, and use the right inputs for our journey, lest we get confused by disparate messages or immobilized by the number of choices.

Build the right habits

All the inputs, all the knowledge, all the tools will be relatively worthless without putting them to use. You must try new ideas, you must practice them, and you must make those new behaviors habits. Without this step, your journey will be a frustrating process of walking on a treadmill, expecting to travel to a new destination.

Have a map

Ok, you might prefer a GPS to my map, but the point is the same. Your journey to any destination needs a map. Once you have committed to your leadership journey, you need a full process for getting there. I have given you many of the pieces here, but you will still need to turn those pieces into a plan.

Whether you are on your leadership journey and want to improve your progress, or you are looking to get started, we have the way to help you start and stay on your personal leadership journey. It is called The Remarkable Way. It includes the components above that we can provide (only you can make the decision, for example). We have designed it with care and thought to help each member build the skills needed for their journey, but also to help them build the mindsets required, and the habits to support the changes. You can learn more about The Remarkable Way and how you can become a Charter Member here.