In so many movies, the plotline sheds light on an egotistical startup CEO that will undergo a transformation and become a great leader by the 90-minute mark. From there, the company goes on to make billions and become an inspiration to others for years to come. Cue the inspirational music to go up with a swell.
But these transformations can happen in our own non-fictional lives as well.
You can take a greater step in your own leadership journey, and find what area of your life needs changing to go from good to great. These transformations are how to change your heart so your leadership can be incredible.
1. Individualistic to Group-Oriented
It is so easy in a “dog-eat-dog” world to feel like you have to constantly tackle the little man in order to succeed.
In most companies, however, they are not looking for employees who can do everything themselves. Companies look for people who can be team players for a reason. Transformation means moving the focus from self to group.
Your team members each have unique traits that make them awesome, but how you can manage them to work together is what will make them shine above the rest. Investing your time in getting the group to collaborate is essential to leveling up how you lead.
2. Private to Open
Online it can be so easy to put up a professional front and make everyone believe you have it all together. However, looking perfect does not provide an opportunity for anyone you are leading to learn from your mistakes.
Share your experiences and what is going on in your life. By doing so, you can build a culture of openness that helps your employees learn from your mistakes. Further, you can also build trust with your employees from an authentic place of you trusting them first.
3. Self-Focused to Curious
Within this mindset of being open about what is going on in your own life, ensuring you are also curious about what happens in the lives of the team members you lead is crucial.
This will build a reciprocal relationship transformation where you can also learn from their experiences, and build trust.
By knowing what is going on in the lives of your colleagues, you can better understand their needs and elevate their performance as employees.
4. Money-Focused to Service-Focused
When leading a company, being focused solely on profits provides a narrow frame.
For building something greater, having a reputation for serving your customers well and taking care of their needs is better for every aspect of business in the long run.
Better service will lead to repeat customers. A transformation such as this brings more money in the end anyway.
5. Short-Term to Long-Term
Within this mindset, making decisions that have lasting impacts and help you reach your long-term goals is a crucial mindset shift to make.
While understanding what your current needs are and meeting them is important, it doesn’t lead to greater things later on.
Build relationships and put systems into place that will lead to greatness down the road.
6. In the Weeds to Big-Picture
It is so easy to focus on all of the little things that aren’t perfect. You get caught up in so much of it that you don’t remember what will really matter at the end of the day.
Continue to seek out a mindset that focuses on what is the actual goal, and what decisions will actually matter.
7. Professional to Compassionate
To be a great leader, you need to have compassion for the people you lead.
Getting past the need to always look prim and proper is one of the needed mindsets. People enjoy working with people, not robots or pretty pictures on screens.
Caring about the people you are working with and finding ways to meet them where they’re at is crucial in order to be able to lead from a place of understanding. Further, having compassion can help you more effectively lead the people you work with.
8. Distant to Relational
Similar to having compassion is building actual relationships with the people you work with.
You will not know the needs of those you manage unless you ask. You will not know how to build up a great team if you do not know the people who would make up that team. For your own sake, you won’t even have people who’ll back you up unless they have a reason to care about you as a person.
Care more about building a relationship with those you’re working with than just trying to get the work done.
9. Selfish to Generous
Helping others reach their goals, and taking the time for the development of others is far more important in leading than building up your own skills.
There is always time and incentive for learning a new skill yourself, or reading a self-help book. However, there may not be enough time that you have people under your own wing.
To be a good leader is being willing to take your own time and resources and to put towards the building up of others on your team.
10. “Leader” to “Servant”
Finally, servant leadership has become somewhat of a trendy idea, but the concept is gold.
If you go into a room with the hopes of leading them, you will not succeed and may end up looking like a jerk in the process.
Come into a team meeting with an attitude of curiosity. Ask where you can help. This alone will make you a far better leader over time.
