As a business owner and a leader, and as someone who wants to create wealth and success, you need to stand up for what you believe in. You need to make sure that people don’t walk all over you. You need to be strong.
It’s of the utmost importance that you believe in yourself and that have that belief at all times because it’s going to help you through many difficult periods. Believing in yourself will help you get out there and succeed in any endeavor in life. You need to stand up for yourself. You need to have guiding principles. You need to have morals. You can’t let people walk all over you. You need to be strong. Leadership is something you need to cultivate in your life.
This section is comprised of one big challenge that looks at what kind of leader you are and whether you have currently have the skills to effectively lead teams of people. I’m going you ask you a series of questions, and I want you to give yourself a score on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest, and one being the lowest. The first step in becoming a great leader is self-reflecting, and understanding your weaknesses and your strengths so you can improve your weak areas.
1. Influence and communication
What is your ability to influence people? How much are you affecting your business? Are you steering your ship, affecting your own career, or is your career steering your ship? How well do you communicate your points of view? Are you able to influence people by talking with them? Great leaders have an ability to influence people. Influence can be anything from selling your products or services to actually influencing people around to your point of view. If you’re going to lead people, you got to get them to buy into your vision. If you get them to buy into your vision, then you’re going to be leading them in the direction you want to go.
2. Innovation and creativity
Are you innovative? Are you the person who comes up with amazing ideas? Are you the person who creates a new path when you come to a dead-end?
3. Sales ability
Are you able to sell your ideas and your vision? Do you sell your products and services better than anyone else? Are you good at selling yourself?
4. Energy and passion
Do you have energy and passion in your business at all times, and are you there to feed everyone in your business with energy and passion?
5. Culture of your brand and team
What is the culture of your brand or your team? Do you have set culture with rules, a mission statement, and inside and outside messaging? Do you have a culture where everyone pulls together? Do you have a culture where everyone loves working with you, working for you, working alongside you? Are you building out that culture with your team?
6. Discipline
Are you someone who is extremely disciplined? Do you get to work early or on time? Are you the last one to leave? Do you make sure you get things finished? Do you make sure you follow through on your promises?
7. Courting Attention
Does your reputation precede you when you enter a room? Do you have an air of authority? Do people know who you are? Are you someone who people respect and take seriously? Are you building a personal brand and courting attention? Are people aware of what you stand for, what you do, who you are, and what value you add?
8. Decision-making/execution
Are you great at making decisions, and then putting things in place so they can be carried out immediately? Do you make sure things get done?
9. Standards
Are you raising the standards of your team? Do you have an ability to get more out of people by getting them to raise their levels? Do you make people want to aspire to work harder because they’re around you? Do you set standards of things you will expect? Do you inspect work to make sure it’s what you expect?
10. Personal X-factor of the business owner
Are you charismatic? Do you have the X-factor as a business owner so that when you walk into a room people want to do business with you?
11. Allies
Do you have allies around you? Do you have people around you who support you? Do you have business contacts? Do you know who to call when you need help or support or when you’re in a crisis?
12. Master the conversation you do not want to have
Are you happy having difficult conversations? Can you enter into difficult conversations with confidence and ease?
13. Plan the start, middle, and end
Do you plan correctly? Do you plan the start, the middle, and the end? Do you have a plan for how you’re going to go out there and run your business?
14. Discover each person’s motivator
Do you understand other people and what motivates them? Are you somebody that really wants it? Is it your way or the highway, or do you help others and coach others?
15. An overwhelming belief that you will win even under pressure
Are you someone who has an overwhelming belief in yourself that you will win and you transfer that confidence to others?
Add up the scores you’ve given yourself for each topic to get your overall score. Look at where you are weak, and work on those skills so you can become a better leader. As you improve your leadership skills, you will start to see an overall improvement in your business and your ability to create wealth.