No matter what role you play in your office, you’re a leader. A leader is someone who inspires, motivates and empowers change, improvement, creativity and innovation. Leadership, while often associated with titles like “president” or “CEO,” isn’t actually role-based. It’s mindset based.
So if you want to boost your career, improve your odds of expanding your responsibilities (and your paycheck), or simply want to encourage a positive workplace environment that embraces progress and growth, try these strategies and steps today.
1. Flip the 80/20 rule
Management experts and business coaches often refer to the 80/20 rule as the Pareto principle, which teaches that roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the cause.
But if you want to be an innovator, you need to flip this old rule on its head. In the world of innovation and evolution, it’s important to remember that it’s far easier to change 20 percent of something than to change 80 percent of something. The trick is identifying what tiny changes will bring about the biggest amount of growth.
So whether it’s your daily work schedule, how meetings are run, or how budgets are laid out, find small new things that bring about rapid change for yourself or your organization, versus trying to overhaul the entire system.
2. Create room for the new
The status quo is no place for innovation. Leaders need to practice patience, grace and openness when it comes to new ideas. Sometimes, an idea will fall flat. That’s okay. Other times, an idea will flourish and get traction. Either way, actively engaging in new ideas and practices can show you new ways of doing things.
“Paving the way for internal innovation...is all about small steps, experimentation and iteration,” reports Entrepreneur magazine. (1) “The only people not making mistakes are the ones not taking any risks. Promoting innovation means allowing innovation leaders to experiment, take chances and, yes, make mistakes. When innovating, mistakes are not failures -- they are important sources of information of how to improve.”
This includes extending grace to yourself if you try something new and it crashes and burns. Remember, that’s not a mistake. It’s a learning lesson!
3. Learn how to say no
Know what values drive you, both personally and professionally. Know what values align with your workplace and your organization. And use those values not just as a nice-to-know, but as an internal compass that gives you direction on what you need to say no to.
Sometimes, that’s saying no to a role change for yourself. Sometimes, that’s saying no to a project or a client.
Saying no to the right things frees up time, energy and creativity to say yes to the right things, and to invest in the things that will truly make a difference.
If you've found this topic helpful, but still need direction to apply it into your life; then click here to get a FREE 45-Minute Call with a coaching consultant at Achieve Today. They'll walk you through your goals, help you understand why you might be stuck, and give you some solid solutions to your problems.
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