You have to be confident to be a leader. Not 100 percent of the time, but it takes confidence to build your best life and accomplish your major goals. We know the stats about failure, which is why that confidence and fearless attitude are so important.
Too often, leaders use that confidence to cover up what they are struggling with inside. They don’t want to admit or show any weakness. They think they can “work it out” or that those struggles will magically go away on their own.
They don’t want the outside world to see in cracks in their armor.
Life isn’t a movie where things just work out. If you don’t acknowledge those struggles, you can’t beat them. It takes more confidence to admit what you’re struggling with. Most leaders can’t or won’t — even to themselves.
Conquering your struggles starts with acknowledging them. You don’t have to let them affect or defeat your business. Here are three habits successful leaders incorporate into their growth journey.
1. The ability to keep a consistent focus on goals.
Working for yourself is great because of the freedom it can provide. You set your own hours and schedule. Having this freedom is a curse if you’re not disciplined. It’s too easy to get distracted and lose focus.
If you’re a solopreneur, you have no one in an office with you. No one is keeping tabs on you. What starts as a productive day can quickly turn into a day filled with daytime soap operas if left unchecked. Not to mention all the modern-day distractions.
How many tabs do you have open on your computer right now? Are any of them social media tabs? I’m guessing the answer is yes.
Setting a wish list for things you need to work on can help. Do this the night before. Working in a public environment (coffee shop, library, and so on) will help you focus despite the noise around you. You’ll feed off of the environment instead of giving in to the quiet at home.
2. Mastery of impulse control.
As humans, we want what we want, when we want it. We also want it right away. As leaders, this is amplified. We see the cool new toy or technology, and we want it for our business. Before you know it, money is spent on something we don’t understand and don’t benefit from. Cash flow is vital in any business.
The Internet and social media have created many opportunities for leaders. We can learn and follow the progress of many successful individuals and businesses. This, however, has encouraged us to copy. We want to be successful and do it quicker, so we copy those who are successful.
It’s ok to want good things. It’s ok to have business idols you study and learn from. What successful entrepreneurs have figured out is how to control acting on those impulses. They have figured out how to test instead of assuming.
3. Saying no and setting boundaries.
Leaders want to serve. They want to help as many people as possible accomplish their goals. They also want to convert new leads into clients and not miss out on any opportunities. This leads to a struggle with saying no to the things that derail our focus.
More often than we realize, saying “no” leads to a big “yes” in other areas of our life and business. Our time is our most precious resource. It should be the most valuable and expensive service we offer. We should be very strategic with what we say “yes” to.
Ask yourself if saying “yes” to that request will mean saying “no” to something that matters to you. If you’re easily accessible to everyone, your perceived value will be diminished. Scarcity works because it helps people see you’re not easily accessible.
Say “no” loudly and proudly if an opportunity shifts your focus. You’re not trying to be a jerk, but if people see you that way, that’s ok. You can’t win everyone over and you shouldn’t try.
I can already hear the wheels turning. I can already see the comments on this article from those “super leaders” that will say, “I don’t struggle with any of these things.” Really?
I challenge you to get honest with yourself. Progress starts with acknowledgment.
Get honest about where you are. If you struggle with these three issues, start taking measures to conquer them! We all struggle. You can overcome and thrive.
Photo Credit: @nubelsondev on Unsplash