And now we welcome the New Year. Full
of things that have never been. - Rainer Maria Rilke
Welcome to
2016! As we kick off the New Year we are once again reminded of resolutions
made, resolutions kept, and resolutions that fell by the wayside. What about
you? Did you make any resolutions?
In a post on
Static Brain (http://bit.ly/1bI3WMg) the Top 10 resolutions of 2015 were
to lose weight, get organized, spend less-save more, enjoy life to the fullest,
stay fit and healthy, learn something new, quit smoking, help others in their
dreams, fall in love, and spend more time with family. Sound familiar?
As leaders
it’s important to keep our goals fresh and review our priorities. It’s how we
stay focused and achieve our goals. As we enter 2016 allow me to share four
simple attitudes with you that serve as reminders for our growth and how you
can make 2016 extraordinary.
The attitude of a learner
Your year
will be extraordinary as a leader as you embrace the attitude of a learner.
It’s when you think you know it all that you stop growing and become
stagnant. Your personal growth and
development hinges on an attitude of learning, not on an attitude of coasting
off past experiences.
For the
leader, school is always in session and the opportunities are limitless. Devote
yourself to learning all you can, reading all you can (http://bit.ly/1R08GCO), and growing all you can as a
leader in 2016.
The attitude of a winner
Your success
in 2016 begins with your own thinking. It begins when you take responsibility
for your attitude. When you embrace the attitude of a winner then good things
will begin to happen for you. Of course, it takes more than a good attitude to
succeed such as your work ethic, but if your attitude stinks you won’t go far.
As a leader
this will always be one of the greatest challenges you will face. Negative
people and attitudes are not hard to find, so you will have to work extra hard
to rise above all the negative voices. That being said, do it- and do it at all
costs. Your extraordinary year depends on it.
The attitude of a giver
Think for a
moment what the impact would be if every leader you know, starting with you,
took to heart the attitude of being a giver? The world around you would look a
lot different wouldn’t it? Significance as a leader begins with the attitude of
giving. It becomes extraordinary when you influence others to do the same.
John Maxwell
says, “If we want to achieve significance then we need to become intentional
about getting beyond ourselves and putting other people first.” Extraordinary
leadership begins when you get the focus off of yourself and put it on others.
The attitude of a listener
What will
set you apart as an extraordinary leader is being one who listens. I know for
some it runs counter to what they like to do, but leaders who excel are those
who know when it’s time to speak and when it’s time to listen.
Larry King
said, “I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me
anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening.” What a great
philosophy. Learning and listening are synonymous to each other. What we have
to say and offer as leaders is only as valuable as what we take in by
listening.
Make it your
purpose in 2016 to live an extraordinary life as a leader. It all begins with
your attitude. Happy New Year!
© 2016 Doug
Dickerson
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