Transformational Leadership Begins With A Transformed Leader
As a leader, do you want to positively impact the lives of your people? Really do good and create a legacy for which you’ll be known and loved? Don’t we all? Isn’t that one of the greatest desires of a leader – the why behind all the risk, the incessant challenges, the thankless job and - let’s face it - the loneliness of the position? There is often a call on our lives to be more, do more and impact the world around us.
I’ve always been inspired to help others that are journeying to become the best version of themselves. I learned this as my calling many years ago when I had the honor of developing young professionals at a wonderful company. This fueled my desire to be an entrepreneur with the idea of helping people to change their lives. With my first start-up, I had a team of 13 that helped run my business. Looking back at that season was bitter-sweet. An amazing business genuinely changing lives, awesome clients and wonderful employees. But, I was a less-than-ideal leader. In fact, I was at the lowest level of leadership; a Positional Leader. I had the authority of a leader but was often just a stressed-out, demanding boss like some I’d worked for in the past. And since everything rises and falls with leadership – the victories and especially the defeats rested squarely on my shoulders. It’s been several years since then. During which I was led to dig deep and work on myself in a way as never before. In doing this deep, introspective work, suffice it to say there were more than a few aha moments revealing areas of myself and my leadership in need of repair and upgrading. Fortunately, I gave myself the gift of investment in self to do the necessary repairs. During this quest for personal growth – I sought to learn from world-class coaches that are some of the best thought leaders of our time in business, leadership and relationship with God. I am truly blessed to have realized a rich personal and professional transformation guided by these experts. This season has opened my eyes to the limitless possibilities of growth and resiliency of the human mind and spirit which, balanced or imbalanced, is the driving factor for leadership effectiveness. Starting with my own. Though there are many, many more lessons for me to learn and many miles yet to travel, I’m more excited than ever to break new ground and continue the journey of becoming my best self so I can serve others well. After all, I cannot give what I do not have! Cheers to the transformed you – your best self – accomplishing great things!