Last week, we said that people leadership starts with personal leadership. If you are not able to lead yourself, it will be impossible to lead other people.
Leading yourself is multi-faceted. Today, let us talk about leading yourself into performance.
How can you perform better?
In my journey, I have learned and crafted what I call a Performance Launchpad composed of nine power blocks to personal effectiveness.
At the base of the model is attitude and ambition. The guiding posts of the model are communication and community, with your core as the roof. Time, tools, and your sweet spot should also be considered to be able to create your story.
In this article, let us talk about the first four first.
First, attitude. If you want to perform more and achieve more, check your attitude. By attitude, I mean your view of life. What separates performers and non-performers is their view of life. The first set look at themselves as victors while the latter look at themselves as victims.
It’s true that life can be difficult but we don’t have to relinquish the responsibility of taking charge of our lives. We have to stop focusing on the negative events and start focusing on the good present and possibilities. We don’t have to be victims but victors.
When you start changing your attitude in life, you will start changing your actions for life. If you look at it, performance is all about action. And action is guided by your attitude.
Second, ambition. Regardless of age, ambition is very important. By ambition, I mean your life goals, dreams and aspirations. Do you still have them? Do you still long for something bigger, better and brighter? Or have you stopped dreaming? I hope not.
The moment you stop dreaming, you also stop the growing. And when you stop growing, you die.
To be able to perform, you have to keep your ambitions alive!
Jim Key asks, “What did you dream and why did you stop?” Go back to it and rekindle that burning desire in your heart.
Third, community. You’ve heard this before: It takes a village to raise a child. It’s true. In the same way, it’s takes a community to achieve your ambition. There are two circles that you have to have.
I call them circle of support and circle of growth. You need friends and supporters who will cheer for you, for people who will say they believe in you. You also need a group of mentors and coaches who can guide you in your journey of growth.
Do you have nurturing friends as part of your circle of support? Start building one and start being one.
Do you have mentors (in different forms: men, women, books, videos and all other good stuff in the virtual world)? Look for them and learn from them.
Fourth, communication. The likes of Richard Branson and Warren Buffett agree on the importance of communication. We need to learn and master communication skills. It is a skill that we cannot live without. It is like air. It is like love. You cannot live without communicating.
After all, communication is inevitable. Whether you are to talk to a friend or supervisor, you need communication skills. Whether are you to present to your team of twelve or speak to thousands, your skill in communication is necessary.
By enhancing your communication skills, you will be able to enhance your performance.
These are just four of the nine power blocks to personal effectiveness: attitude, ambition, community and communication. In the succeeding articles, we will look at the other five and continue exploring on the path of leadership.
Today, go out there. Perform. And lead!
(Chris Dao-anis, CPA, ACG, ALB is a trainer and speaker on communication and personal leadership. His latest book ‘Living Large in the Little Things’ is available at Mt. Cloud Bookshop, Casa Vallejo, Upper Session Road, Baguio City. For talks and trainings, email him at chrisdaoanis@gmail.com or visit his website at www.chrispoweracademy.com.)
