#3 of 10 Leadership Hacks (a few ways to help you develop your leadership skills)

#3 of 10 Leadership Hacks (a few ways to help you develop your leadership skills)

Being recognized as a leader means you have been identified and accepted by others. You will hold the title of Leader until you are recognized as someone that can no longer lead others. Trust me on this, the title of Leader is NOT a lifetime guarantee. The title of leader means you will have to work hard every day to keep the recognized title. 

While you might hold a position consider a "leadership position" but is it really? If you look at the position itself, it is a manager position, at best, with a potential of being held by a leader but there is no guarantee. 

Also, not guaranteed is have a degree or title after your name such as B.Sci, MBA, Ph.D., PA, JD, or MD. None of those are guarantees of being recognized as a leader. What is a guarantee is doing something with that degree, something worthy of being recognized as a leader by those that give those that are looking for someone to follow.

In this blog series I share with you the 10 Leadership Hacks that will help you develop or enhance your leadership skills. None of these are guarantees to being a recognized leader but through the use of common sense and constant & consistent utilization you might just find yourself a better place than when you were when you started. 

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3. TAKE CHANCES - Taking chances is always the best route to becoming a recognized leader. A chance to step up and fail. A chance to get back up and succeed or to fail once again. No matter if success or failure is the result of you taking a chance, you take that chance again.

Leaders are created as a result of taking a chance (or two). Leaders are never borne of sitting back and watching the world go by. Leaders are not made by directing traffic, as well. Leaders are out there making the world spin, Leaders are out there either creating the traffic, the route, the jam, or they are out in front of the traffic (setting the pace).

Taking chances means embracing change. Taking chances means being afraid but doing it anyway. Taking chances means that people are hungry to see a leader that will step up. They want a leader that they can follow without hesitation, even if it means that leader will fail and try again. Taking chances means you, as a leader, will find yourself on the losing end more times that not but will get back up and try again.

Taking chances also means you will occasionally dive into the deep end without knowing how deep or cold the water is. Additionally, taking careful and calculated chances should be the standing order of the day. But orders just like rules were also made to be broken.  

Whether the chance was calculated or haphazardly done the outcome will be what it will be. As a leader, you must also accept the fallout from the outcome of taking chances. Good or Bad. You own it. People want a leader that not only is willing to take chances but accept responsibility for their actions or behavior.

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As always if you find yourself with concerns, comments or questions please drop me an email at dave@daveguerra.com and let’s begin a dialogue. 

Until next week.

David Guerra

P.S. I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra • visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

P.P.S. To order your copy of Great To Follow: Amazon paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble paperback
To order your copy of The Walking Leader:  Amazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble