Everyone has a secret to leadership and there are no shortage of leadership books and articles.  Whatever your source may be; I think everyone would agree that leadership is valuable to a person’s personal and professional development.

Leadership expert, author, and speaker John C. Maxwell said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”

I am a firm believer that you cannot effectively lead others until you know how to lead yourself.  So I want to give you 3 essential steps to effective leadership.

1.    Commit to Learning.

A great leader is never above learning new strategies and skills to be a better leader.  Your commitment to learning will prepare, position, and push you to be the very best version of yourself.  

2.    Be Ready to Sacrifice.

The greatest things in life are obtained through sacrifice.  Sacrifice insures that you will advance yourself.  One of the most sacrificial leaders of our time Mother Teresa said, “A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, must empty ourselves.”  When you sacrifice, you are actually emptying yourself in order to fill yourself with something greater to move your leadership forward.  Consequently, this action will give you the results you are seeking to take your life to the next level.

3.    Sharpen Your Communication Skills.

What you say and how you say it is critical to being an effective leader.  If you think about the leaders you enjoy following, you will realize that these leaders are masterful in the way that they communicate.  Communication can be achieved in a variety of ways.  It is more than just words, but it is also the way you live. Take 5 minutes right now and figure out how you are communicating your leadership to the people you are leading.

No matter your profession or how accomplished you are, we are all in need of more efficiency when it comes to our leadership skills.

I should point out that there are some who are leading large numbers of people but lack effectiveness with their leadership.  And if they would try one or more of these strategies, they would draw an even larger number of followers.

At the end of the day, it is about helping others.  But remember you cannot help someone else until you help yourself.

Please leave a comment below or email me directly to share how you intend to effectively lead yourself and others.

Bryant

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