Lead From Where You Are And With All That You Have

How many times have you heard yourself say If only I had the right role … the right job … the right business … the right opportunity, then I would step into my leadership.

But that role, position, opportunity, or business may never come along. So when is the right moment to start leading? That moment is now, right where you are.

If you can’t start from where you want to be, how do you start from where you are?

Here are some ways to clear the path:

Develop yourself. To lead others, you must first learn to lead yourself. As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world as in being able to remake ourselves. Who you are and what you learn about yourself is more powerful than where you are.

Develop alliances. Nothing great was ever done alone. To be successful you need to be able to get along with others, which means building strong relationships and deep alliances. We are all as strong as we are united and as weak as we are divided. The best leaders know the importance of alliances and do everything they can to cultivate them.

Define your worth. Everyone has a unique talent and their own way of expressing themselves; learn what yours is and it will be your worth. The best competitive advantage you have is you. Your talent determines what you can do; your motivation determines how much you do; your attitude determines how well you do it. Lead by your worth and make your mark.

Engage in constant dialogue. When dialogue is constant communication is easy, instant and effective. The most important aspect of dialogue is usually hearing what is not being said. The art of reading between the lines is a lifelong quest of great leaders because it leads to understanding, connection and mutual appreciation.

Seek out experience. Experience as much as you can. People never truly learn anything by being told; find out for yourself is much more powerful. Once you’ve experienced failures and successes you can begin turning those experiences into wisdom.

Invest in other people. People matter—especially when it comes to leadership. Find what is good about others and do everything you can to illuminate their work, support their development and nurture their success. Invest in other people’s successes and groom them to be leaders too. When they win, you win.

You don’t have to wait until you get to the top, until the right role is available, until you’re in the perfect place at the perfect time. You can reach everything you need, and everything you need to accomplish, right where you are. Then when opportunity knocks (and it will) you’ll be ready.

Lead From Within: Everyone has the potential to lead successfully, regardless of the positions they hold and the title they have. Be ready today by leading from right where you are and with all that you have.

 


 

N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

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Photo Credit: Getty Images


Lolly Daskal is one of the most sought-after executive leadership coaches in the world. Her extensive cross-cultural expertise spans 14 countries, six languages and hundreds of companies. As founder and CEO of Lead From Within, her proprietary leadership program is engineered to be a catalyst for leaders who want to enhance performance and make a meaningful difference in their companies, their lives, and the world.

Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.

  1. John Paul

    03. Mar, 2015

    WOW, WOW, WOW – never have I read SO much in such a short space. The value of this article is a fine example of what leadership is all about. Thank you, Lolly!

    Reply to this comment
  2. Panteli Tritchew

    03. Mar, 2015

    “As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world as in being able to remake ourselves.” Whole-Hearted agreement, Lolly.

    We are all under construction. Ha! Maybe we should get T-Shirts with website terminology:

    “Under Construction: Please Be Patient, Real Me Coming Soon”
    Have a wonderful week!

    Reply to this comment
  3. Sunil Jogdeo

    03. Mar, 2015

    All agreed ! A leader nurturing needs a mentor like you who is committed to this subject to such a depth. enjoyed and thank you.

    Reply to this comment
  4. LaRae Quy

    03. Mar, 2015

    This article hits home for me because accepting responsibility for our actions and behavior whiile not blaming others is one of the first steps toward mental toughness!

    Another great article, Lolly! Have a great week.

    Reply to this comment
  5. Terri Klass

    03. Mar, 2015

    Wonderful post Lolly!

    The point I love is: “The best competitive advantage you have is you.” We each have something special to offer an it’s up to us to define it and promote it.

    Thanks for your insights and sharing!

    Terri

    Reply to this comment
  6. Tasia

    03. Mar, 2015

    Hi Lolly,

    These are some great points. Sometimes even when we don’t see ourselves as leaders, others do and we have a responsibility to ensure we lead them the right way.

    I like the point about seeking out experiences; it’s not something I always do because of fear of failure but the rewards and lessons learned are definitely worth it.

    Thanks again.

    Tasia

    Reply to this comment
  7. Garren Fagaragan

    03. Mar, 2015

    Lolly…

    I liked how you connected investment in oneself, personal worth and development with investment in others, alliances and dialog/communication.

    All fused to empower oneself to lead where are with all that we have.

    Thank you for the thought provoking reminders in this post.
    Garren

    Reply to this comment
  8. Garren Fagaragan

    03. Mar, 2015

    Lolly…

    I liked how you connected investment in oneself, personal worth and development with investment in others, alliances and dialog/communication.

    All fused to empower oneself to lead where are with all that we have.

    Thank you for the thought provoking reminders in this post.

    Garren

    Reply to this comment
  9. Duke Walter

    04. Mar, 2015

    Dear Lolly,
    Thanks.Thank you for your essay .I am encouraged and moved.I got what you said.I totally agree with what you said. these are great ideas. You let me find my shortcomings.so i will learn from where i am .i will start where i am .I will try to change myself and improve myself.
    Your sincerely,
    Duke

    Reply to this comment
  10. Priscilla J. Quiah

    04. Mar, 2015

    Great Lolly! This is great! I like Develop yourself. Learning to lead myself first before others. And the best competitive advantage of me being me. Thanks!

    Reply to this comment
  11. David Brooks

    08. Mar, 2015

    Lolly,

    “Lead From Where You Are And With All That You Have-Lolly Daskal”

    Wow! Those are very powerful words! Thank You!
    I am in the second stage of life, “:50 ish” and have always struggled with, “I Can Do More, but I must be more first!”
    Your words are affirmation to grow within and Lead from where you are!

    Great! Keep up the wonderful and inspirational words of wisdom!
    David S Brooks
    “Leading From Where I Am!”

    Reply to this comment
  12. Maureen D. Gochett

    08. Mar, 2015

    Thank You!!!!

    Reply to this comment
  13. Tom Henricksen

    11. May, 2015

    Developing our self is important step that gets left behind as life becomes too busy. We all need reminders to invest in our self and keep the “saw sharp” as Steven Covey would tell us.

    Thanks for this great post!

    Reply to this comment
  14. Matthews Otalike

    14. Jun, 2015

    Wow Lolly this is another great piece from you. I can’t stop thinking of the importance of introspection, self-awareness, indeed emotional intelligence in leading people.

    It is always great reading your pieces.

    Reply to this comment
  15. Muange Emmanuel

    31. Jul, 2015

    To Lolly,
    To lead others,first lead yourself.Nobody wants to be associated with a failure.Learning from your mistakes makes you wiser and believe it or not, when your foundation is firm, the right people will step in to your life.Thanks to you Lolly for the remainder that becoming a leader we must really invest in our selves by cultivating them good values and starting right from where we are.
    . from Muange Emmanuel

    Reply to this comment
  16. Nicole Cleveland

    31. Oct, 2015

    Great tips Lolly.

    Reply to this comment
  17. Michael

    04. Nov, 2015

    I’m amazed at how you are able to pack so much into so little. More importantly, how what you have written speak volumes to me. This has really encouraged me and I thank you. To your continued success and impact.

    Reply to this comment
  18. Dee Ann Turner

    24. Nov, 2015

    Your tips are spot on, Lolly! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply to this comment
  19. Kimbley

    15. Jun, 2016

    Thanks again Lolly. This is one of my favourite blogs. Xxx

    Reply to this comment
  20. JohnK Wright, V

    03. Sep, 2016

    I loved your article. I am a Retired Army Engineer Major. I believed in this throughout my career. I once spoke with the Brigade Commander at the Army Engineer School at Fort Belvoir, Va. when I was a young Captain. He told me that he was one who never worried about getting future assignments or trying to plan his Army Career. He just accepted the assignments that he was given. His advice to me all those years ago, was just “Bloom Where Planted.”.

    Reply to this comment

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