Leadership 'Cheat Sheet:' 7 Keys To Becoming A Better Leader

Leadership is a choice. Being successful as a leader means work and lots of it. It's just not the kind of work most people envision because they don't understand what it takes to be a good leader.
Here are 7 keys to help you succeed in your journey...becoming a better leader:

1. The destination is more important than the route. Obsess about the destination but be flexible about the route. Always remember,* if you want to go fast; go alone; if you want to go far, go together* (Simon Sinek)
2. 100% of business [success] is about people NOT money. One common business truism is business is about relationships. The money is just a result...like market share or a business ranking. These things don't make us feel gratified, excited or needed while relationships do
3. A critical key to a successful business deal is touch, making a physical bond. It's a human connection, an exchange of human *feel good* chemical-oxytocin. It makes everyone feel better. Without this, according to Sinek, it's likely you will sabotage the deal, pass on it altogether, or feel nervous & unsure about it from the start
4. Change negative thinking into a more positive perspective through cognitive reframing. For example, there you are, about to speak to a large crowd or meet a big client. As a result, your body abandons you. It has happened to us all. You start to experiences a brief physical breakdown of sorts. You have a sudden case of the sweats, there are crazy butterflies in your stomach...or your stomach is making you feel even worse. There are a whole host of common visceral feelings like these. Rather than tell yourself it's nerves (which has a negative connotation), tell yourself it's excitement...an eagerness to go forth. It's the same feeling, just a different, more positive focus & mindset
5. Demonstrate empathy with your employees...remembering the second key: a hundred percent of business is about people. For example, instead of punishing a formerly successful employee who is now consistently failing, check in with them. * I've noticed your performance has been seriously flagging for a while; what's going on with you...is anything wrong?* Place your focus on the person, not the job. Connect...empathize...be human
6. Always remember there is a difference between being a leader, & being a business authority. Leadership has a price...there's a cost. A successful leader will put themselves at risk to protect others. While they are willing to sacrifice themselves for others; they DO NOT sacrifice others for themselves. The latter makes us angry; we don’t like or respect it. The former makes us feel safe, protected, & cared for; it makes us feel like a priority. This translates to a better job performance
7. Set yourself up for success by choosing jobs you really want; work with people who want you; with people who view you as their first priority, not their last. Take jobs that excite & energize you...the ones that make you feel passionate. That feeling makes you feel good AND it's a feeling easily transmitted to others

To conclude, none of this is "written in stone."  *Winning* at business is a popular fallacy. It's not a game & it's not easy so no one *wins* at it. That's simply not possible because there are no rules & in order *to win,* there must be rules in order to build reliable metrics. Those rules have to be commonly understood & agreed upon or they don’t matter. For example, think about when you play tennis with someone. If you are just rallying, no matter how you are doing, no one scores any points; no one "wins." Even though no one wins,  personally, you can still have an amazing rally making you feel good about the state of your game. Others can see it, like it, & try to emulate it. However, in this context, just winning is about getting to *game, set, & match* before your opponent. To do so, you both must operate within a clear set of rules defining the exact parameters of the game as well as what it means to win. THAT'S how metrics are built. Games have rules which are agreed upon & commonly understood. Not only is there a hard & fast destination that everyone agrees upon but a specific route. Successful leadership is all about the destination, not necessarily the road you travel! You dont need fancy metrics to be a good leader. Being a leader requires just one thing: followers but being a successful leader takes much more. As I said, none of this is easy & it takes a lot of work!