Feeling stuck? It’s time to take the LEAD.
Leadership carries the weight of many assumptions people apply to it. Strength. Courage. Wisdom. Foresight. Team-Builder. All wonderful qualities, but for most of us, not necessarily innate abilities. Some leaders are born and others develop through time and experience. However, all leaders must continue to grow in order to remain effective. In order to lead, you must take time to Learn, Explore, Act, and Dream (LEAD).
Learn
No one wakes up one day knowing everything they will ever need for the rest of lives. People are constantly changing. The world is constantly changing. There is always something new to learn. A different strategy to employ. An alternative route to take. A new methodology to implement. Leaders must take the time to stay connected to emerging ideas, tools, people, and resources while using their experience and discernment to filter fad from future.
Explore
They say if you sit in a French cafe long enough, you will see the whole world come by. While sitting in a French cafe is never a bad idea, it isn't the most effective plan to see the world. Leaders take the initiative to explore the world around them whether it involves the pages of a passport or the pages of a book. Leaders explore potential opportunities and open closed doors. They look up and out when others are looking down or fixated on one point. Exploration begins with one person willing to ask the question "What more can be done?" and then going out to find the answer. And they even take a stop at that French cafe (or somewhere similar) along the way to observe and absorb life.
Act
Leaders are great at getting things done whether working alone or in coordinating groups to execute large-scale projects. Action is kind of their "thing." However, leaders also know that sometimes the most appropriate action in certain situations is NOT to act. Forcing circumstances to bend to one's will is not leadership, it is control. A secure and confident leader is equally able to sit back and let a situation unfold as they are charging into the front lines elbow deep. Yes, the ability to act is a mark of a leader, but so is the ability to know when not to act to make the most powerful and productive impact.
Dream
The ability to dream and envision the future is perhaps the most important trait of a leader. It takes skill to manage current circumstances and responsibilities; however, it takes imagination to be able to create a vision of what the next big opportunity will be and put plans in place to make it a reality. There are some who consider being a dreamer too flighty for the lofty concept of being a strong and reliable leader. In reality, the most successful leaders are driven by their dreams to learn, explore, and take action to bring those dreams out of their imaginations and into the world for the benefit of all for today and generations to come. The next time you drive a car, get on a plane or use your mobile device - remember that someone with a dream made it possible. As Albert Einstein said:
“Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.”
Whenever you feel stuck in one place or that you aren't being as effective as you would like, ask yourself how you Learn, Explore, Act, and Dream. If any of those areas are lacking for you, then it is time to LEAD.