Jill Ellis, U.S. women’s national soccer team coach, in the Netflix series ‘The Playbook: A Coach’s Rules for Life’, said “You have to push the envelope, evolve, get better.” We all have room for growth, room for improvement, and room to be better versions of ourselves. As leaders, the question is … how do I become a better leader for my organization and my team?
Rule #3: Push the envelope, evolve.
Adopting a growth mindset is critical. It’s having the “attitude and the mindset that you’ve got something to prove … it’s got to be better, better, better.” We are accountable for the execution of our performance and the execution of our team; however, execution starts with leaders. It requires discipline and mastery of leadership capabilities.
“The culture of a company is the behaviour of its leaders. Leaders get the behaviour they exhibit and tolerate. You change the culture of a company by changing the behaviour of its leaders. You measure the change in culture by measuring the change in the personal behaviour of its leaders and the performance of the business.”
Ram Charan and Lawrence Bossidy from Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done
Effective leaders understand the importance and embrace continual learning and execution of these newfound skills. They model the behaviour they wish to see. They aren’t afraid to push the envelope and evolve. Ask yourself:
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What am I doing right?
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What do I need to change?
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What can I do to be even better?
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Am I creating value as a leader? How?
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Am I making a difference to my organization and team? How?
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Am I inspiring my team to push the envelope, evolve, be better? How?
We encourage you to go one step further and solicit feedback from your team. It’s one thing to hold up a mirror to see who you are, but it’s even more vulnerable and brave to question how others see us as leaders. Gain a better understanding of their perception of your leadership style and effectiveness. Learn from those you influence, guide, and lead. Ask them:
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What should I continue doing?
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What should I stop doing?
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What should I start doing?
Authentic leadership is about self-discovery. It’s asking yourself important questions, committing to developing capabilities, and showing up every day with authenticity, self-mastery, and humility.
To read our previous blogs and rules #1 and #2, visit: https://www.leadvantage.ca/blog
Sofia Arisheh is a certified HR strategist, leader, and educator with extensive experience in multiple sectors. She specializes in aligning HR strategy with business strategy, focusing on employee-centric approaches to drive better business results.
