- I believe in the importance of my mission.
- I believe I am an expert in my subject.
- I believe I know my team and what they want, need, and desire.
- I believe in the power of courage – that doing what scares me makes me stronger – every time I conquer a fear my confidence grows – and that speaking up makes me a leader.
- I believe there’s a driving force in human beings that makes us want to get better, to do better.
- I believe that feedback is the only sure way to know that I am making progress.
- I believe in the power of generosity, especially in helping others.
When you hold these beliefs it gives you a sense that what you think and say can make a difference.
I couldn’t believe either – until…
- I created a personal mission statement. When you create your own mission statement you’ll know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. This will foster your belief in both your purpose and yourself. So do it.
- I dived into books and workshops to learn everything I could about my subject. But don’t just learn, apply what you learn every day. That way you will become an expert. Experts are always in demand.Learning will always help you because the act of learning is strongly motivating because it gives you a sense of making progress.
- I became a student of my audience. You should study their behavior. Devour every stat you can lay your hands on. Know what they do and why they do it. Ask questions. Learn from them, Work with them. Create with them. Know about their relationships, their families, their interests, and their ailments. Then you’ll be able to communicate with them in personal ways that inspire and persuade.
- I discovered that when I feel anxious or afraid it is telling me, “this is important, there’s an opportunity here”.Do not allow your anxiety to dissuade you from action, you may well miss an important opportunity. Face your fear, head-on, and demand of yourself, “What do I need to do to take advantage of this situation?” Then take positive, progressive action.Pay attention to how you feel when you finish doing what you demanded of yourself. How good is that?
- I dedicated myself to learning from the best. You should follow those who have been there and won their spurs. Read, and attend seminars and workshops. But only follow those who have a track record in the subject matter. Do not follow mere teachers, they are just parrots, there’s no inspiration to be had from them.
- I started to pay attention to feedback. It turned out to be the acid test of the value of my thoughts and ideas. You will never know how good your thoughts and ideas are if you don’t give feedback air time.
- When I started to use my knowledge and skills to help others I discovered that it did not just make me feel good, it also inspired me to learn more both about my subject and about how to communicate better.
This works better than shouting
Back in the early nineteen hundreds, when jazz was fast growing in popularity in New Orleans every neighborhood had its own band.
On Sundays, the neighborhood would hire a truck, install their band on the flattop, and parade around the town.
When two bands met the followers would chain the trucks together to fight it out musically.
Each band tried to play louder and louder until they drowned out the opposition who would cut the chain and run.
But the Kid Ory band played softer and softer enticing the audience to come closer to hear their lovely music. Then the crowd would cut the chain and drive the opposition away so that they could hear Kid Ory.
Kid Ory’s band became the most famous in the whole city. I still play their beautiful recordings to this day.
You don’t have to be loud to be an effective leader.
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Previously Published on leadershippsychology.substack.com
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