Good Leadership Starts Where The Comfort Zone Ends
The work of leaders is not easy. It requires a lot of knowledge and skills. A good manager who wants to be a good leader at the same time knows about his weaknesses and about the talented people in his team. He inspires the environment for his visions, motivates for great performances and is able to appreciate a job well done. But he can also give constructive criticism and, if necessary, empathize with the needs of his subordinates.
The life of a modern leader, or leader, brings challenges in leadership, innovation, motivation, growth, development, evaluation, communication and risk-taking. And the fact remains that you can't do any of these things very well in your comfort zone. At the end of your comfort zone, your role as a leader begins. It is difficult to move beyond your comfort zone, as it brings feelings of danger and insecurity. This imaginary breaking point - the comfort zone - is located differently for each of us. Without feeling the risk, an ordinary employee can handle his tasks and routine duties without problems, without risk. However, effective leaders know that leadership from their comfort zone means that they are not learning, growing, developing, or achieving higher results.
Are you ready to get out of your comfort zone? Here are some ideas that may help you:
Be smart and motivate yourself. Leaders are so accustomed to motivating and empowering others that they often forget that they face similar challenges as others. Intelligent leaders question everything - (especially) themselves.
Be fearless and question the vision if it doesn't seem ideal to you. If the organizational vision is not properly defined or does not fit, you will lose track of where you are going. Leaders show courage by working with others to define and formulate an organization's vision so that everyone can be aligned with the purpose.
Be brave and challenge the organization. Restructuring and reorganization are necessary to keep the company balanced and successful even in times of change. Leaders show courage when they are willing to give up established organizations, controls and preconceived notions.
Be hero and challenge stakeholders. Every organization is led by people and relationships are important, but often one or more stakeholders hamper the organization. Leaders who show heroism take risks in gaining buy-ins from important relationships in the organization.
Be innovative and challenge best practices. Each organization has its own processes and best practices. Innovative leaders are constantly questioning "this is how we do it" and are constantly heading higher.
Be brave and find talent in your area. Talent development, growth and cultivation are among the most important parts of innovation and success - if you want creativity and productivity, you need to build a great team. Brave leaders know that greatness can never be achieved in a small, familiar circle.
Leadership from within: Leaders who follow their comfort zone stand up. They take responsibility. They take advantage of opportunities to improve. They are willing to take the risk for change for the better.
And finally, never stop studying more. A successful leader never stops educating himself. Whether it is learning from one's own mistakes, one's own tendency to further develop and educate in the field of one's field, education is the basis of success.
At the same time, by educating in your profession, you will let your colleagues and superiors know that you are working on yourself and that you are not indifferent to your career. Thanks to seminars, courses and educational programs, you will rise not only in the eyes of your friends, but also in the price on the labor market. Education can help with higher pay and promotion.