In my last article, I started talking about the components I believe are crucial to implement as a leader if you are to see your vision come to fruition. Often the vision you have, it’s only you who can see what’s possible and everyone else thinks you’re a little crazy.
Establishing anything great takes a huge amount of commitment, perseverance and resources, from not just yourself, but from the team you surround yourself with, as you can’t do anything great on your own. You as the leader, the visionary, however must lead your team to achieve the vision and, if you implement the steps outlined in this 2 part series, you’ll be making some serious progress to seeing your vision become a reality and lead for growth.
1. You need to live what you believe – you need faith.
When you’re chasing the Vision, the Dream – you will live what you believe. Belief creates faith, which is hoping for things that are unforeseen.
I recently read about a young man, Josh Wood who when he was 18 broke his neck while attempting a daring aerial jump over a road at a Victorian snowfield and became an instant quadriplegic. In the frightening days, weeks and months that were to come, when even just surviving seemed unlikely, Josh had a vision that he would not just live, but that he would walk again. With the help of an incredible team around him, led my his mother, Josh lived his belief and would for example spend 3 weeks just trying to move his big toe! Only three months later, Josh walked out of Victoria’s Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre. Josh had faith in himself and faith in the team around him. Many couldn’t see what he saw but Josh and his team believed it was possible and went for it.
Do you live what you believe?
Can your team see that you live what you believe?
Do you have faith in yourself, your team and the accomplishment of the vision?
2. You need to finish what you started – you need to be relentless.
When it comes to Leadership, the hardest part isn’t starting but finishing what you started and driving your team to the finish line.
To lead you have to be relentless about achieving the results.
Committed visionaries hold dear 4 vital truths:
- A winner never quits and a quitter never wins
- To achieve your vision you must have commitment
- The vision is possible if you possess an unyielding attitude of commitment
- Leaders have the right to lead because of their commitment.
Are you relentless?
Are you prepared to do whatever it takes to finish what you started?
3. You need to set realistic goals.
When it comes to creating belief within the team you lead your goals must be realistic and achievable but at the same time stretch the people you have around you. If you set unrealistic goals, you dilute the belief in the team you lead.
What is an achievable, realistic goal that you must set for you and the team?
4. You need to be led.
For 22 years I was led by a very special man. Jim grew me as a leader and changed the way I thought about life, leadership and success. To lead, you must allow yourself to be led and I’ve spoken about this many times. Effective Leaders know that they first must be led to grow in Leadership so they are better equipped to lead the individuals in their team.
What do you need to change?
Who is leading you?
With my business, Leadership Dynamics, I’ve had the honour and privilege to have the leadership responsibility to lead very successful CEO’s, business owners, elite professional sporting coaches and elite professional sports people. My effectiveness to lead others has come from this principle of being led.
Only yesterday, I had a long-term client and close friend reach out to me who has been going through a very difficult stage of his life, who asked to have time with me to lead him to ensure he makes the right decisions for his life over the next 12 months. It takes humility to allow yourself to be led and it’s a big responsibility to lead people.
Do you truly want the responsibility of leading people?
Will you allow yourself to be led?
5. You need strong self worth, convictions, integrity and morals. The most effective leaders I know have high self-esteem and self worth with very strong values and morals. These values and morals strengthen their leadership character. as people follow strength.
Where is your level of self worth?
Do you have a strong sense of morals and values that drive you?
Do your team see this in you?
When you lead people, which I’ve had the honour and privilege to do since 2003, I’ve understood the importance of demonstrating publicly about what I am convicted about – what I stand for. You cannot lead if you don’t stand for something and you must drive the behaviours to act on your convictions. For me what I stand for is the FLITU principle:
- Family
- Loyalty
- Integrity
- Trust
- Unity
This drives everything for me.
What do you stand for?
What are you convicted about?
Does your team know what you are convicted about and what you stand for?
You need to have integrity if you want people to follow you as a leader, when you say you are going to do something, you must do it. Integrity means your word is your word. Your team needs to trust what you say, always. They must never doubt it.
If you don’t have trust, and you don’t have integrity, you’ll never have loyalty and if you don’t have loyalty, you’ll never have unity. Without unity you’ll never achieve your vision, ever. In Part 1 of this series I spoke about the importance of trust and loyalty and how to build these.
Are you a Leader who truly is worth following because when you say you are going to do something, you do it?
Do you have integrity?
Do you have the trust of your team?
Are you 100% loyal to your team?
Are they 100% loyal to you?
Do you have unity in the team you lead?
I trust my last two articles have stimulated and agitated you to take the necessary steps to achieving what your vision, even if you’re the only one who, at this stage, thinks it’s possible.
Remember, the world’s greatest visionaries were once considered crazy until they proved people wrong. Then they were geniuses. (John Eliot, Personal Excellence.co)
It’s your vision, it’s your life and in the end it only matters what you believe, not anyone else.
