Every Leader Needs A Leadership Plan
Posted In: Leadership | Posted On: January 4, 2016Authentic, transformational leaders share some very essential habits. They strive to understand themselves better and actively build a reflective leadership practice. It is this essential practice that fosters an extraordinary level of integrity, self- knowledge and principled action.
Here are some actions steps that can help you become an even better leader:
1. Make Space For Self Reflection: Understand that the practice of self-reflection is not a luxury or privilege but a responsibility. Without it, leaders can become frustrated, stagnate or burn out and your organization and the movement you care about will suffer. Understand that leader self reflection is part of your job and can yield extraordinary results for you, your organization and the movement.
2. Foster A Continuous Learning Mindset: Be as passionate about learning to become a better leader as you are about the cause you are working on because they are intertwined. Courses and books can be great but daily practice is paramount. Consider asking questions like: What could I have done better or differently today? Did I act with integrity and authenticity today? What did others teach me today?
3. Actively Seek Out Feedback: Learning to be a better leader is not an isolated process; create ongoing opportunities to secure feedback from staff, board, allies, etc. Build a strong and lasting network of mentors and peers coaches that can share their own experiences and strategies and can help you see your blind spots.
4. Decide What’s Important And Make A Plan: Just like organizations should have staff development plans, strategic plans, fund raising plans—you need a leadership plan to help you prioritize and measure progress.
— Elsa A. Ríos