20 Things I MUST Do To Succeed in Leadership

Here are Leadership notes on what I need to do to be successful.

1. Don’t ever give up – Setbacks will happen, and circumstances will get in the way. Decide ahead of time that you will never give up. Those that show up and step up will win in the end. Never give up.

2. Keep Learning – always learn and grow and educate yourself. Read more books, listen to podcasts, and talk to coaches and mentors. Continuously pursue knowledge and wisdom and make it a lifelong journey.

3. Listen, Learn, Lead – Listen to people who know, learn from them, and then lead others. If you listen with the intent of Learning, you will be in a better position to lead.

4. Attitude is everything – get a great attitude and keep it. Hang around people with great attitudes and let it rub off on you. See things from a positive perspective. Be authentic but also hopeful in all circumstances. One of the secrets of establishing a great attitude is gratitude. Be thankful for your current occasion, and then you will be ready to pursue your potential.

5. Create and Keep Your Balance – Give 100% without jeopardizing something else that is equally or even more important. I am thinking about work/family here. Put your work in your calendar and give it all you have during that scheduled time. Also, put the family time in your calendar and show the same effort. 100% in all you do, always.

6. God First – The fact that I listed this number 6 means that I need to take this to heart! It all starts with the creator, and putting God first is essential for your life. If you are a person of faith, put God first always. Start each day with scripture and prayer.

7. Be Humble – I always tell people how awesome I am at being humble! That is a joke and a reminder for me to live in humility. Pride and arrogance will get in the way and take you down a negative path. Stay grateful and humble.

8. Have Fun – Why focus on all this other stuff if I can’t have a little bit of fun in the process? Having fun is a stress reliever and a relationship builder. In your work, family, and friends, always have fun.

9. Communicate Better – I need to improve my communication skills constantly. Communication will determine my ability to get things done. Listen to those that do it well and find ways to practice better communication skills daily—fundamental no matter what you try to accomplish.

10. Remember Teamwork – Nothing big happens by yourself. Significant accomplishments almost always involve a team working together to accomplish the goal or task at hand. Be the very best team member you can be and give it a 100% always.

11. Be Accountable – I need to take accountability for my actions, all of them. Let your yes be yes, and your no is no. Do what you say you will do and go the extra mile when you can. Trustworthiness comes from being accountable. If you want more responsibility, be responsible.

12. Serve Others –  Leadership without serving others is inferior leadership. Doing for others is the example great leaders set for their teams. It is contagious, and nothing spreads better than good service. Your model will multiply and produce incremental results down the road.

13. Get Healthy / Stay Healthy – Everything we do is physical, and we need our bodies to do productive things. Please take what you have health-wise and make the most of it. Exercise your body, mind, and spirit. Put these things in your calendar and give it 100%.

14. Be a Man – This applies to me and not you if you are a woman.

15. Get Finances in Order – Money is necessary for just about everything. Get control of your finances before they get control of you. Money is an area where you need a plan, and you need to be intentional. If you are not good with money, ask for help. There is nothing worse than a great opportunity with no financial plan to back it up.

16. Work Hard –  Work hard!!

17. Get Enough Sleep – If you are not tired at the end of the day, you did not do #16. After a long day of working hard, you will be ready to get some sleep. You determine how long that needs to be and commit to giving yourself that much time every night. Give yourself enough time to get a whole night’s sleep.

18. Be a Great Follower –  Great leaders are always great followers and set the example. The idea of promotion is to take great followers and turn them into great leaders. Everyone starts by following, and the great ones become leaders when the time is right.

19. Pay Attention – Be alert and recognize what is happening around you. Be ready to take advantage of circumstances as they occur. There is a lesson to be learned around every corner so pay attention. Those that pay attention will capitalize on the opportunities that arise. Pay attention!

20. Focus on #6 – Regardless of circumstances, it is the best thing we can do. God first in all things. Faith, hope, and love are the foundational principles behind true success. You will learn more about your potential and others’ needs when you do this. You will find comfort in trials and direction in life. Your crossroads will be easier to navigate, and your purpose will be more evident. There is joy in knowing and believing. Put God first.

To your success.