Build a strong foundation; it’s always one of the most important aspects, when it comes to growth.
I was in conversation with a business leader last week, commending her on a job well done by running a successful event. ‘This was so outside my comfort zone’ she replied. Seriously, she could have fooled me and all the others. It came so naturally to her in my opinion.
So, what does it take to be a natural leader and to champion growth? This is the 2nd article of our 12-part series where we explore self and people leadership for growth. A sequel to our previous article on ‘Connecting Business to Vision’.
Conscious vs Unconscious
As a leader or an aspiring one, you may have come across the subject of conscious vs unconscious competence. Let’s use this adapted Noel Burch’s Four Stages of Competence diagram* to refresh our memories.
As we do so, can we ponder for a moment? What do you think about the concept of ‘analysis’ being conscious and ‘intuition’ being unconscious? Could intuition be ‘conscious’? Hold that thought and let’s now delve into the meaty stuff we’ve planned for today.
What does it take to build a strong foundation for growth?
I’ve had the opportunity to confer on this with some wise folks yet again. Based on that, my experience, observations and good old research, here are the 6 tips I would invite you to explore.
Mastering these top tips leads to a great foundation; which means you’re all set for a great leadership and growth (personal or business). The only caveat here is that change is forever inevitable. We therefore need to perioidically review, improve and grow.
Your 6 Top Tips
- Be Grounded – It’s important to be mentally and emotionally stable as a leader. Admirably sensible, realistic, and unpretentious; despite the ups and downs of events. Great leaders understand the importance of the simple things in life.
2. Be Centered – We all get thrown out of balance sometimes; and that’s ok. Being centered entails having a reference point. That place we come back to when life, emotions and stress push us off balance.
3. Be Secure – Now this is a biggie. A host of issues we have stem from deep sources of insecurity – physical, mental and emotional. I’ve witnessed many a great leader substituting moments of doubt and insecurity with ‘trust’. It begins with acting as if all is well and with integrity (despite appearances or reality as the case may be). This then clears our mind for brilliant ideas and solutions to come through so we can resolve the situation or perceived issues at hand.
4. Stay Active – The importance of looking after our physical bodies especially via regular exercising cannot be under-estimated.
5. Stay Energised – I say this to clients all the time, so forgive me if you’ve heard this before; it’s crucial. Work done is zero, if we choose to put the wrong or toxic foods into our bodies; especially if we’re looking attain our highest potential. Where possible include more plant based foods in your diet.
6. Be Present – Being present is one of the greatest skills we can develop. Oh yes, I hear what you’re saying. We’re surrounded by too much to be able to be present in one minute. Not making time to be present however robs us of the greatness we currently possess, or will ever do in the future. Cultivate the skill of being present at any given moment. At least focus close to 100% on that which you’re doing.
Actionable Advice
Get a sheet of paper. Give yourself a mark out of 10 against all 6 criteria above. For those you scored below 8, ask: ‘What does it take for me to get to a 10 (if that’s an aspiration of course). Masterin
g these 6 tips as leaders serve as a great foundation for personal, team and business growth. It opens so many more avenues for us to tap into our true greatness and potential (and that of others). It also sets us up for balancing all 4 aspects of us body, mind, heart and soul.
So, what marks did you give yourself and could you use some support in developing some of these areas further. If so, don’t delay. Work with a mentor, coach or a qualified buddy. The more holistic their approach, the more balanced and inspirational a leader you’ll evolve into.
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Maggie Sarfo is a passionate author, advisor and mentor for ambitious business executives, entrepreneurs and professionals looking to explode sales revenue, create new markets or access their highest potential. Her blog is her playground, where she explores the topics of business growth, personal growth and peak performance. Learn more about her programmes.
