Wayne Lockwood: 7 Simple Tips to Become a Successful Leader

Thursday, 14 June 2018

7 Simple Tips to Become a Successful Leader

“But I’m not a leader!”
“I’m not qualified enough to lead.”
“I don’t know how!”

Every successful leader at one point or another has had these thoughts enter their brain-space. The bad news? We cannot become fearless leaders by allowing these thoughts to pervade our minds every day.

In this blog, I’ll cover seven things that the best leaders do to remain successful.

1) Maintain a Peaceful and Clean Home Environment

Ever heard the phrase “a clean room is a clean mind?” Well, it goes double for your home. Try and keep your home fresh and without clutter. Set aside time each day to stay on top of these tasks, so the project isn’t so overwhelming.

2) Keep a Workout Routine

We, humans, have significantly evolved since discovering fire and chasing down antelope with pointed sticks…but what hasn’t changed is that we are still animals that exist in a physical body that was originally designed to survive in nature. We don’t have to strip ourselves of our comforts and go live in the woods, but we do need to maintain a healthy workout routine. And what works for you may not be what works for someone else. It’s vital to remember you’re working out for yourself and not for anyone else.

3) Do One Thing Each Day that Makes You Feel Good

Most people aren’t blessed with the opportunity to work somewhere they enjoy doing what they want. This means that eight hours of every day is often spent doing things that you would instead not be doing. To stay sane and be able to empathize with others, try to do at least one thing each day that makes you feel good. It can be as big as buying a house and as small as playing fetch with your dog instead of looking over those TPS reports. Either way, make sure you treat yourself.

4) Be Honest with Yourself and Others About Your Desires

A wise man once said that “99% of problems are due to you not communicating with others.” I’m not sure who that wise man was or where he was from, but he had to have existed, and his wisdom extends to us today. The truth is that most issues in life arise out of an inability or unwillingness to communicate our true feelings to others. This often results in messy situations where all parties’ needs aren’t met, and everyone is angry at one another. To be a successful leader requires creating open lines of communication.

5) Give Without Expecting Anything in Return

This is one of the most important–if not the most important–routines to develop if you would like to become a leader. At the core of leadership is a desire to give of yourself to others when they have a need (whether they are aware of it or not). Refocus your mind on giving without expectation of fruit, and you will soon find yourself leading all kinds of situations. Adopt a servant-leadership mindset: how can I help you achieve your goals?

6) Express Yourself Creatively Each Day

We all love artists. We will pay, and we travel thousands of miles to see them play or present a new piece, but how often do we make creative space for ourselves? Whether you believe it yet or not, you also have the creative spark. A highly effective step to becoming a fearless leader is to come in contact with your inner creative force. Find a creative outlet for yourself: take a class, watch an instructional video on a skill you’d like to develop, or doodle in the margins. The scale of creativity is up to you.

7) Share Your Knowledge and Inspire Others

As you become more confident in your leadership abilities, it’s important to share that knowledge. Whether it’s teaching a coworker a new skill, mentoring an employee, or sharing information on social media, the old adage “sharing is caring” is especially true for fearless leaders.