Awaken The Leader In You
Excerpts from an article by Sharif Khan
Many motivational experts say that leaders are made, not born. I beg to differ. I believe we are natural born leaders, but have been deprogrammed along the way.
As children, we were natural leaders - curious and humble, always hungry and thirsty for knowledge, with an incredibly vivid imagination. We knew exactly what we wanted, were persistent and determined in getting what we wanted and had the ability to influence everyone around us to help us in accomplishing our mission.
So what happened to us as adults?
Over time, our curiosity and imagination started getting curbed by parents and teachers telling us what to do or not do. Instead of learning to become creative, independent, self-reliant and think for ourselves, we learnt how to obey and intelligently follow rules to keep the corporate machine humming.
So, if you want to re-awaken the Leader in you, here are ten easy steps to rekindle your passion for greatness...
1. Humility
Leadership starts with humility. Nobody wants to follow someone who is arrogant. Be humble as a child, always curious, always hungry and thirsty for knowledge. Always growing.
2. SWOT Yourself
This strategic management tool can just as effectively be used in your own professional development as a leader. Self-knowledge, self-remembering, and self-honoring. Also make sure to list down any doubts, anxieties, fears, and worries that you may have. By bringing them to conscious awareness you can begin to defeat them.
3. Follow Your Bliss
Regardless of how busy you are, always take time to do what you love doing. If you were to video tape yourself for a day, you would be shocked to see how much time goes to waste! Being an alive and vital person vitalizes others. This makes you a charismatic leader.
4. Dream Big
Don't be small and realistic; be bold and unrealistic! Go for the Gold, the Pulitzer, the Nobel, the Oscar, the highest you can possibly achieve in your field. Now list every single reason why you CAN achieve your dream instead of worrying about why you can't.
5. Vision
If you can't see yourself winning that award and feel the tears of triumph streaming down your face, it's unlikely you will be able to lead yourself or others to victory. Visualize success. See it, smell it, taste it, hear it, feel it in your gut.
6. Perseverance
Victory belongs to those who want it the most and stay in it the longest. Consistent action every day.
7. Honour Your Word
Every time you break your word, you lose power. You can accumulate all the toys and riches in the world, but you only have one reputation in life. Your word is gold. Honor it.
8.. Get a
Preferably someone who has already achieved a high degree of success in your field. Don't be afraid to ask. You've got nothing to lose. Also, take time to study autobiographies of great leaders that you admire and can learn from.
9. Be Yourself
Learn but don't imitate. Everyone has a distinct leadership style. A quiet and simple Gandhi or a soft-spoken peanut farmer named Jimmy Carter, who became president of the
10. Give. Finally, be a giver
If you want more love, respect, support and compassion… give love, give respect, give support, and give compassion. As Sir Winston Churchill once said…
"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."
__._,_.___
