3 Ways to be the Best Leader in the Room
Last year my family went on a Disney cruise. I was excited. I mean, where else can I dress up like a pirate for a week and it be completely normal?
Soon after we boarded the ship we had to go through a safety routine. Part of this is having everyone go to their "safe zone." This is where you should go in the case of an emergency. While I am not sure that I would actually go to the movie theater on deck 4 if the ship was sinking, I did try to learn something. In that boring exercise my emergency guide told me that I could be the most "magical person on the ship" if I only did a handful of things. While I don't remember those things, I do recall thinking I just wanted to be "magical" at anything!
What if greatness had a formula? Wouldn't that just make things easier? If leadership were as simple as, "do these things" then I would be a rock star!
While I cannot guarantee success or "magic" to anyone, I can give you some steps that will set you apart from other leaders in any room. Do these things and you will find yourself rising above others of equal age, experience and talent.
Here are 3 ways to make yourself the best leader in the room.
Learn what matters most.
Jon Acuff says that every leader, company and industry has a "currency." Simply put, there is something they care about the most. If you are talented in areas outside of what is important, you may be impressive but you will not be impactful. Learn to identify what matters in your leadership environment and then develop your skills based on those things. Spend a year studying the leaders you serve and mine out what they value, then learn skills in that area. You will become irreplaceable.
Jon is offering a FREE preview of his latest book HERE.
Be present.
Can I be real? It is difficult for me to take what you are saying seriously in a meeting when I just saw you texting under the table minutes before. In fact, everyone saw you! If you want to be heard then you have to be present. Don't stifle your voice by trying to be present in every virtual conversation online. Be present in the one right in front of you. Connection to the world matters, connection to the present moment matters more.
Here is a FREE resource to help your voice be heard.
Have a good attitude.
Have you ever noticed how tiring it is to be around negative, cynical or combative people? At first it's usually ok because we may even agree with them, but over time it becomes a grind. Conversely, how energizing is it to be near people who exude positivity? Lay those same questions over the way you come across on your team. Are you perceived as a drain or an inspiration? Positivity is a choice and positivity gives you a voice. When you live your life with a smile and encouraging words it opens doors well beyond your skill set.
Do these things and people will notice. More importantly your leaders will notice and your influence will expand. Who knows, one day someone may even refer to you as "magical" too!