If we could eavesdrop into the mind of a budding leader, we might hear something like this:
“Why did I say that?” “How did that happen?” “Why didn’t I react sooner?” “What did I say wrong?” “How could I have missed that?” “What’s my next step?”
It’s natural and unavoidable to question and doubt ourselves as we step into the unknown. These questions can lead to some pretty harsh, negative self-talk – fueling your doubts instead of building your business skills.
Time to declare your independence from uncertainty! But how do you sort it all out? How do you sift the “helpful” from the “not-so-helpful” thoughts?
First, pay attention only to what’s true. For example, “Why won’t anyone listen to me?” is not quite true. They are listening to you. Now, whether or not they follow your advice is their issue, not yours.
Here are some basic truths:
∼ You can’t please everyone
∼ Not everyone is going to like you
∼ You’ll disappoint people
∼ Not everyone will want to work with you
∼ In some cases, you’ll make mistakes
More importantly, you’ll also discover that:
∼ You’ll please tons of people
∼ Countless people will like you
∼ You’ll satisfy many people
∼ Countless people will be inspired to work with you
∼ In many cases, you’ll get it wonderfully right
When faced with my own personal leadership challenges and my desire to be the best I could be, I came to rely on a personal Leadership Code. At the end of the day, I would ask myself these three questions:
1. Did I tell my truth?
2. Did I meet my commitments?
3. Did I deliver my best?
My answers would help me come to terms with my actions as I reviewed the beliefs and decisions that guided them. To this day, I continue to rely on these questions to inspire me as a woman and motivate me as a leader.
When you tell your truth, meet your commitments and deliver your best … your doubts dissolve and you revolutionize your leadership and move forward with confidence.