What happened to me throughout my life is not who I am. What I decide for my life is who I am.
Now that we’ve discussed working on ourselves over my previous posts, what have you decided to work on and apply first? It is my hope that you will pass on what you have learned, and increase your influence.
Which in turn will multiply my influence through you. I hope you have done a lot a lot of thinking when going through these posts, and reflected on what you have learned.
I know that you have the potential to strive towards, and become a highly effective leader. The purpose of this post and my website is to help you realise that potential, and working on yourself every day so you can fulfill that potential.
1. What Does Every Team Need?
You’re still reading this post, so that is how I know you have the potential to become a highly effective leader. If I am being totally honest, every single one of us is crying out for a lot more highly effective leaders.
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Your team needs a highly effective leader. Your department needs a highly effective leader. Your organisation needs a highly effective leader. Your community needs a highly effective leader. Your country needs a highly effective leader. Our world needs lots of highly effective leaders.
We need highly effective leaders who are willing to go that extra mile for their people. We need highly effective leaders who are going to climb the leadership ladder, then climb back down and help others climb. Is that you?
I believe it is, because you are still reading. So, don’t prove me wrong.
When you have decided what area of your leadership to work on and apply with your team first, how are you going to apply it? Are you going to tell your team what you have learned, or are you going to show them what you have learned?
Are you going to transform your team with what you have learned? Are you going to inspire your team with what you have learned? Are you going to motivate your team to apply what you have learned?
When you apply what you have learned with your team, you are creating change.
2. What Do Highly Effective Leaders Focus On?
Highly effective leaders focus on the people and their personal growth, not their goals. They do this by leading by example, and being a role model for their team. They also expect their team to be the same role model for others.
Highly effective leaders inspire their team to embrace change. They motivate their team to implement change that for the good of themselves, the team, and the organisation.
As you are going through these posts, I have been describing and advising you on leadership principles. They are principles that I have applied in my career. It is now up to you to do the same, and then teach your team the same principles.
To transform yourself first, you must listen to what you are telling yourself, nobody else. The advice I have shared will not transform you, it has to come from you, and the effort you put in to apply it.
We discussed being a transformer in an earlier post, so that will help you with this. Are you willing to be that transformer?
My role through writing this post is to try to influence, and inspire you to be that transformer. But, also for you to help to transform others too. To make a start on this, take your team through a 30 day book study with a leadership book.
For example, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. If you do this, then it will be a great start in transforming your team from followers to leaders. This will also be a great start in you becoming a highly effective leader.
The message in the book is to first master being a follower, and then to work on leadership. If you help your team through this, then you will all be well on your way to climbing the leadership ladder together. With each team member helping one another up that climb.
As you work on yourself to grow and develop every day, you will also be growing and developing your team. Then, you can stretch your influence by helping your peers, and their teams to grow.
You can help them develop and increase their influence. This will again multiply your influence within the organisation even further. You don’t need permission to help other teams, and increase your influence with your peers.
3. Are you willing to stretch yourself and help other teams?
It is not about authority, it is about influence.
If you feel that you have taken a lot from this post and you are going to apply what you have learned, then share this post and my other posts with your peers. When you do that, take them through a 30 day book study also.
Show them what you have applied, or are planning to apply with your team. Show them how they can do the same. If you truly believe in leadership and what we discuss on this site, then recommend it to your organisation’s leaders.
Encourage them to share these posts for their leadership teams. Most organisations are willing to buy personal development resources for their teams, so don’t be discouraged by anyone.
The more you help your team, your peers, and their teams. The more it will get noticed. Especially by the senior leaders within your organisation. You will become known as a person who promotes leadership to all, and who is willing to help others.
You will become known as a highly effective leader, and the opportunities will open up to you because of what you are doing. You will be given the chance to lead bigger teams, and climb the leadership ladder.
When you start applying what you have learned, please be clear that things will not start to improve overnight. It will take some time before you start seeing transformations.
It is usually months, and then years. That shouldn’t discourage you or stop you from working on yourself every day.
If you work on transforming yourself every day, then your ability to transform others will increase. If you do not work on transforming yourself every day, then your ability to transform others will decrease.
4. My Purpose For My Articles
As I have said before, the purpose for this and my other posts was to inspire you to learn the principles and then apply them to your life, your team, and your organisation.
The pride I feel that you are going through these posts, and are willing to apply these principles is huge. I am so proud of you that you are doing this. I really hope you pass on your new skills to others, and teach them through leading by example.
These leadership principles are what I have learned and practiced over the last 20 years of my career. So, I want to help you get ahead by learning them quicker than I did, and by applying what you learn.
Keep practicing what you apply. Share and teach what you have learned with others. Increase your influence with everyone you interact with, whether that be at work or at home. Bring into the conversation what you have learned, and inspire others to do the same as you.
If your organisation doesn’t have a leadership programme, then inspire them to implement one for their people. Help them do develop it with your newly found knowledge.
If you get a rejection on the leadership programme idea, then don’t let that knock you back. There is nothing stopping you developing your own programme using the leadership principles you are learning.
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If you do this, the demand to be part of the programme from your team, your peers, and their teams and beyond will increase rapidly. People will want to know what you are doing.
So, when you get asked questions from people, then that is your opportunity to increase your influence with them by answering their questions.
You have an amazing opportunity with what you are learning. An opportunity to increase your influence through the entire organisation. It will take time, and you will get some resistance but do not let that stop you. Keep going, have patience, and lead by example. You can do this……I BELIEVE IN YOU!
Do you want to leave this earth with all the knowledge you have and not share it with the world? That would be a huge tragedy.
It would be great to hear your thoughts on how you have helped your colleagues and leaders and if I am putting you on the right path to climbing the leadership ladder. I would also love to know how you are doing by helping others to climb the leadership ladder, and beyond.
So, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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All the best,
Good leaders believe that success is measured by the number of people you have helped achieve success. You don’t stand in front of your team, but behind them to support them. I agree with what you said that the transformation we aim for will not happen overnight. It is an ongoing process. We need to be a better person today than we were yesterday. And we need to improve some more tomorrow. Great post.
Hi Leslie,
Thank you for your comment.
I’m really pleased that you found the post valuable. Supporting and assisting your team is a major role of a leader, and you are so right in saying that.
Transformation is a term that isn’t used as often as it should be. Most of us leaders around the world should be transforming consistently, and helping others to transform too.
Being better than we were yesterday, as you say, is the best way to keep track of how you’re transforming.
Thanks for your engagement.
All the best,
Tom
Being a leader that actually joins my crew and helps has been my method. I have always felt a leader should be a helper, a worker, and not scared to get his own hands dirty to get the job done!
This is a great read thank you for taking the time I’ll be following for more ways to be a better leader.
Hi Denton,
Thank you for your comment.
Leaders should lead from the front. They should set the example, and they should lead by example. That is exactly what you are doing with your team, so keep it up. Show your team the right way, lead them down the right way, and keep them on the right way.
So pleased you found the post valuable, and please do come back to engage more.
All the best,
Tom
I am honestly glad I came across this blog post. Being able to transform myself and thereafter transform those around me sounds like a great goal to work towards. I’ve taken quite a number of useful tips from your post, so thanks a lot for sharing with us.
This post is worth sharing with work colleagues, friends and family, so I’ll be doing exactly that.
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for your comment, and thank you for sharing the post with your colleagues, friends and family.
Transformation of ourselves and others should be constant. The best way to track this is to ensure you were a better person than you were yesterday.
Helping others to transform is actually transforming ourselves without even knowing it.
Thanks again for your comment, and all the best.
Tom
Great article Tom. I will definitely read the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Leaders. We definitely need great leaders, don’t we?
Hi Kyle,
We definitely do need great leaders.
Are you willing to become a highly effective leader, and make that difference that you know you can make?
All the best,
Tom
It really all starts with you doesn’t it? To be a great leader you got to be a good follower so you can learn from those you follower and do things differently where you see it as bad leadership. After all, we all have that one gift that only we have and your articles are great reads to be a better leader. Good stuff.
Hi Tenyiko,
Thank you for your comment. Really appreciate it.
Leadership is not about you, but yes it does start with you. Good point that learning from others poor leadership is also a trait of a highly effective leader.
Keep coming back to gain more insights, and keep engaging.
All the best,
Tom
Hi Tom,
I’ve found your article really well written and quite true. For me, a leader is someone gathers people towards a vision and helps them moving forward. I think we should not wait quietly and fight for our ideas. If you’re not yet considered a leader in your team, then become one. Being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean it is written on your job role and I have seen so many people in my job being leaders without the title. Thank you for your article on highly effective leaders as this is inspiring for any junior at the beginning of their career.
All the best!
Hi Floriane,
Becoming the leader you wish you had is a message that I like to share. You are so right, you don’t need a job title to be a leader. If you need a leader then become one. That is how a lot of the best leaders in the world start their leadership careers.
Really pleased you found the article inspiring and valuable.
Come back whenever you like and keep engaging.
All the best,
Tom
I really liked your layout. Your writing skills are good and easily read and understood. I believe in your content 100%.
Hey Glynis,
Thank you for your comment.
Really pleased you found the article valuable, and thank you for believing in my content.
Keep returning and keep engaging.
All the best,
Tom
Hi Tom,
I’m glad you’ve mentioned Stephen Covey’s, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”.
It’s a book I have read many times before, and still dip into for both reference and inspiration.
I believe Stephen’s habit number 5 encompasses a lot of what you discuss in this article and indeed on your website – seek first to understand, and then to be understood.
It makes perfect sense that if you want to become a highly effective leader that you need to understand everything about your team first: what makes them tick, what they aspire to be, what they are looking to achieve, and of course, how you can help them to achieve these things.
By following this methodology people will automatically see you as a great leader, and therefore be far more willing to follow.
A great article as always.
Partha
Hi Partha,
Thank you for your very thorough and kind comment. I’m glad the article resonated with you.
I really appreciate that you acknowledge Stephen R. Covey’s book and that what I discuss encompasses his seven habits. That wasn’t my intention but I believe that when you acquire knowledge and you share it, it comes out in your own way. We must put our own stint on things and make it our own.
Thank you so much for your kind words as always. You really a re a true leader with the work you do too.
All the best,
Tom
Great article on what decisions will you make. I know this information will be so helpful for so many people and I plan to share with some of my business associates.
I think your suggestion to lead by example is a great message!! Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Alyse,
Thank you for your comment. It’s great that you found the article helpful.
I really hope that this article and my other articles resonate with lots of other people too, just as you say.
Keep returning, keep engaging and keep leading.
All the best,
Tom
Great article. So true. In my point of view being a leader does not require a title. The person who creates an environment in which every single team member could transform into better herself or himself is a leader. The most influential businesses is the one that has a smart leader who call every single person with a potential ability in the right place. An actual leader should be a servant leader first.
I really enjoyed the time I spent at your website. Hope all the best in your great job!!!
Hi Sephora,
Thank you for your comment. I’m so pleased that you found the article valuable.
I couldn’t agree with you more, that leadership is not about titles or positions. It is about how you influence people, no matter what position or title you have. You are so right, servant leadership is the only way to lead. It is about the people, not about ourselves.
Keep returning, keep engaging and keep leading.
All the best,
Tom
I definitely agree that the best leaders, the highly effective leaders, are those that prioritize the people in a team. The best leaders look out for their team and set an example for them to follow. Then, when those team members go on to become leaders, the ideal thing for them to do would be to repeat the process. Interesting article overall Tom.
Hi Alejandro,
Thank you for your comment. It’s great that this article resonated with you.
I couldn’t agree with you more, the best leaders look out for their team and set the example. Putting our people first and being the example is the most important leadership principle for me.
Keep returning, keep engaging and keep leading.
All the best,
Tom
Dear Tom,
I really love reading your posts because they are very insightful.
I really like that shed light on the importance of leadership being about influence and not authority. They lead by example.
You also mentioned that to be a leader, you must have to transform yourself by reading books and sharing your knowledge with others and not only that, but also encouraging your team to read. I like that.
And then the leader training programmes.
I have come to find that leadership skills can be learned.
That people can be trained to be effective leaders.
Thank you for sharing your experience. This is what leaders do.
Thanks for this Tom
Hi Ibi,
Thank you for your comment and very kind words. I’m so pleased that you found the article valuable.
You are absolutely right that leadership is about influencing our people, and not managing them or being authoritative. Transforming ourselves and sharing our knowledge with our people is one of the biggest responsibilities of a highly effective leader.
Keep returning, keep engaging and keep leading.
All the best,
Tom