You Need to Have a Leadership Mindset if You Want to Succeed

If you’re in a leadership position, you got there because of a set of skills and abilities. You did great work and got promoted, or you took off with an entrepreneurial idea, and at some point you became the leader, the boss, the manager, the one in charge.

But as the old saying goes, what got you here isn’t going to keep you here. If you are in any leadership position, it’s essential that you learn and adopt a leadership mindset if you want to succeed. Here are the six key components for developing a leadership mindset:

A leader is only a leader if they have followers: Remember, you’re only a leader if you have followers, and to be a successful leader means getting others to buy into your vision and mission. If people don’t feel motivated or inspired by what you’re doing, they’re not likely to follow you or trust you. Make sure to connect and engage those you lead, and help them find meaning in what you are doing.

Even if you are in charge, you are not the authority: You may be the person in charge, but that doesn’t mean you should try to do everything yourself and make it happen on your own. A successful leadership mindset is about delegating authority—not just tasks—to the right people to get the job done.

Navigate people instead of trying to fix them. Most new leaders think they have to come and immediately begin solving problems and fixing situations. Instead, consider it your job to make sure the people on your team have everything they need to do their job. The mindset of successful leaders is to navigate people, not to try to fix them.

Stand with your people, don’t lead them from the front:  Many leaders think they need to stay ahead of their people. But a leader’s proper place is standing right beside them, supporting them. Be in the foxhole with those you lead and they will follow you through the trenches.

Coach and praise people publicly but criticize privately. In the moment, it’s easy to unthinkingly criticize people in front of others, but the effects are detrimental—and lasting. Successful leaders know they need to serve as a coach or guide, to praise people out loud and reserve critical feedback for a private talk.

Communicate with clarity so people aren’t in obscurity. Communication is at the heart of great leadership. Some leaders are unnecessarily secretive, and others think they’re doing a great job of communicating in spite of evidence to the contrary. The best leaders cultivate the skills and the mindset they need to ensure clear, constant, consistent communication, because they know it’s the key to getting the results they want and building the trust that makes a strong team.

Lead from within: A leader with the right mindset can go far and achieve great success. Do you have a leadership mindset?

 

 


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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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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. herbert a melendez

    27. Jun, 2019

    A man who thinks winning and ruling is the same thing lacks wisdom. Tywin Lannister.
    What got you in a leadership position is not going to keep you there is a very powerful quote. As leaders we must constantly continue to demonstrate our ability to lead, especially to lead by example and inspire other to follow our path, just like you say a leader is only a leader if he has followers.

    Reply to this comment
  2. Sanjay Biswas

    28. Feb, 2021

    To be a leader, one must have a leadership mindset. This means one has to keep evolving with time to maintain the leadership position.
    The six components mentioned here are really important.

    Reply to this comment

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