Business experts agree that the key to any company’s success is highly dependent on the leaders in charge of that organization. Although most CEOs and top-level executives are generally very driven, staying motivated on a daily basis can pose challenges from time to time. Yet staying inspired is crucial for developing their teams and growing their companies.
With the economy is still recovering, many organizations and even individuals are still not able to invest in executive leadership coaching resources.
I spoke with leadership coach and organizational change expert Dr. Brandi Stankovic, author of the new executive coaching handbook The Strategic MVP. Stankovic shared five important things you can implement today to increase your value to your company and become a true MVP!
“Regardless of the size of the company, there are common denominators across most industries and organizations,” says Stankovic. “They all look to build influence, they rely on teamwork, and there is a need for quality communications.”
1. Discover your mojo
“Everyone around you can tell if you’re happy where you’re working,” says Warren Buffett, who claims that he “tap dances to work.” The difference between becoming a good leader and a great one is a matter of finding your mojo!
The legendary investor thinks that your sour attitude is not only bad for the culture; it undermines your creative energy and enthusiasm. Putting off your passions is “a little like saving up sex for your old age. Not a good idea!”
2. Communicate with emotional intelligence
Although we are very much in the digital age, honing your emotional communications skills with your teams is crucial to creating a healthy functional environment for your employees, and it will ultimately trickle down to your customers.
With all of the available social media platforms for customers to vent any frustrations they experience with a company, effective communications skills are even more important today. Strong leaders must recognize the impact of emotional intelligence on their social abilities and communication styles. Your awareness and regulation of your own motivation and emotions impact your ability to be effective.
3. Get over it
“You have enduring impact not because you are perfect or lucky,” says Sir Richard Branson, “but because you have the courage to stay focused on building a better future rather than dwell in the past.” Yesterday’s cultural baggage is just that: Yesterday’s. People do not want to hear your complaints or what it was like in the good ol’ days. Instead, they want to look to the future and want to know how you will make tomorrow better for them.
It is time to move on; however, it is also important to respect the organizational sacred cows and institutionalized approach to systems and processes. Respect tradition, but do not be the person that others have to go around to get things done. Wipe the slate. Get over it.
4. Hire your weakness
“One of the fundamental reasons why leaders get derailed along their paths is because they forget this truth,” says bestselling author Jim Kouzes, “…that you can’t do it alone.” It’s vitally important for any leader to figure out areas where they may not be as strong, and to hire team members who can fill those gaps.
In any organizational setting, the most respected, valued, and admired leaders achieve success only with the support and expertise of a great team. No one does it alone.
5. Commoditize your time
Time is our most valuable resource. You should budget your time in the same manner that you budget your money. Life is full of energy-creators and energy-takers. Each moment that you spend focusing on what matters most will help improve the quality of your life and your effectiveness in all aspects. Mastering how you focus on what truly deserves your time and energy will make you an MVP!
Stankovic also cautions that ideas alone are not enough. “It’s great to read books, study, and listen to the most powerful and highly successful people, but the application of those learned skills and tools and executing strategies is the key to success,” she says.
