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

#8 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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8. LEAD BY EXAMPLE - Current and Future Leaders your life will be under a microscope. Everything you say and do is amplified, at least, 100X. 

That is why leading by example becomes your life. What you say, where you say it, who you say it to, when you say it, why you say it and how you say it will be under that microscope. There is no escape.

The same goes for what you do. What you do, when you do it, where you do it, who you do it to, why you do it, and how you do it, all under that microscope.

Also what you do NOT say or do, is right there along in that microscope. 

As a leader, at any level, your words and actions are everything. The words you say and do not say. The actions you take and do not take. It all matters to those that follow you. 

It matters in that as a leader your job is to build trust. By keeping your word and doing what you say you are going to do is how trust is built. The same goes for doing what you say you are going to do. 

Failing to deliver and not keeping your word is not what true leaders do. However, there will be times when a leader cannot deliver. In those occasions leaders must communicate to ensure the reason is understood by the followers. Then as soon as possible, make it happen. 

"Do as I say and I do" is Leading by example. Genuine leaders need not worry about leading by example as they embody the discipline of leading by example. They know nothing else. 

Future leaders, at first there may be a misconception on what leading by example may or may not be. The misconception comes from not understanding that everyone is different and everyone has a different definition to what is "leading by example". By taking the time to accept that all people are different and everyone carries their own definition. The leader becomes aware that to be their authentic self is more important than how others see them.

When current or future leaders accept themselves for who they are then their authenticity moves front and center. As the leader is behaving in a manner appropriate to themselves, others will recognize then authenticity the leader(s) bring. The leader is then leading by example.

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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
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