21st Century Leadership

Too often, leaders attempt to change the way their teams and organizations act without changing the way they think. As a result, they get compliance but not commitment. Involvement but not investment. Progress but not lasting, sustainable high performance. In today’s ever-changing, disruptive, and competitive landscape, problem-solving is the essence of what leaders exist to do. Merely throwing money at a problem or leading from a place of reaction and fear is not a practical strategy.

As long as you are alive, you have the opportunity to lead and be of service to others. Your mind can create narratives that say the only way you can begin to make a difference is with that promotion or C-Suite. The reality of the matter is if you have a body, you are a coach. You are a leader. Seek to help others realize their noblest visions, values, and aspirations. Cultivate a leadership and coaching style that inspires and encourages rather than belittles, demeans, and dominates.

Understand whichever industry you are in; you are in the people business. You are more than just a coach or educator. Your work as a leader is about changing lives. You are in the business of unleashing the vast potential of each team member.

May the following leadership lessons inspire you to look beyond what is into what can be as you empower those you lead with grace, enthusiasm, gratitude, and humility.

1. People are in constant evolution. The person you meet today will be different tomorrow.

2. Leaders allow their team to discover who they are.

3. Your voice is a weapon. Learn how to use your voice effectively and efficiently.

4. Leverage and creatively use technology to improve the quality of your instruction and relationships.

5. Each day capture the hearts, minds, and commitment of those you lead.

6. Create a culture of growth and development where your team is empowered to voice their ideas and insights.

7. Few of us have the same motives, at the same time, or with the same priority. That reality puts you and those you lead in a potential positive conflict every day.

8. Change requires new ways of thinking, performing, and learning.

9. Those you lead need to hear how valuable their contributions are to the team's success.

10. Leaders practice empathy and listen actively to people inside and outside of the organization.

11. It is not what you know; it is what you can get your team to “Believe In.”

12. A large part of leadership is recognizing that your fruit often grows on other people’s trees.

As our society continues to navigate a world of high tech, low touch interactions, the holistic development of leaders that create a high-performance culture based on empathy, morals, and ethics will be more imperative than ever. It is each of our responsibility as positive difference-makers to lead our teams and organizations forward and upward towards new levels of excellence!

P.S. If you are in search of a book recommendation, our team at The Daily Coach highly recommends It's the Manager by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter. This book shows leaders how to adapt their organizations to rapid change, ranging from new workplace demands to managing remote employees, a diverse workforce, the rise of artificial intelligence, gig workers, and attracting – and keeping – today’s best employees.

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