Mindset

Determined leaders are the strongest and most successful. But where does their determination, their seemingly natural fortitude come from? Does one have to be born with it or is it a trait that can be cultivated?

For me, determination is the combination of a leader’s motivation and passion to achieve a noble goal coupled with a calculated plan for success. A great plan isn’t likely to be well executed without passion, and a passionate leader without a plan is like a captain without a ship.

The most determined leaders are the ones with emotional strength that is not easily shaken. You can see this in business, sports or even certain people fighting illness. Determination is not about the absence of fear, but rather the ability to be brave in the face of fear.

It’s fantastic if you’re brimming with natural determination. It has probably served you well in life. But even if you’re someone who tends to live with anxiety and worries too much about the risks, there are things you can do to help build your internal determination.

Developing determination is the process of building your mental muscle the way an athlete builds their physical muscles. It requires practice, energy and consistency along with the belief that you’re becoming a stronger leader. It’s ironic, but you must be determined that you can develop your determination before you begin.

Here are a 5 strategies I provide emerging leaders who I work one-on-one with to help build their determination:

Set priorities – What’s really important to you? Leaders who treat everything as equally important are ineffective, whether it’s staff or projects. Knowing that A is more important than B, which is more important than C is the first step toward success.

Stop wanting to control other’s opinions or beliefs – You have a finite amount of energy and time. Stop wasting it being upset because you have no say or trying to change someone’s opinion when it won’t affect your success. If your lack of input could hinder your work, use your energy to find a way to influence those who do have input. If a contrary opinion doesn’t negatively impact your chance of success, walk away. Trying to force others to conform to your beliefs is a sign of insecurity.

Dispatch resentment – I have never met a truly successful, emotionally strong leader who feels envy or resentment. When you see somebody reach a goal, is your naturally tendency to feel happy for that person or to feel jealous? If it’s the latter, no worries, it’s not uncommon. The first step towards eliminating these negative behaviors is to stop holding pity parties for yourself. Resentment does nothing but deplete the mental energy you need to become a successful leader.

Like’s attract – Success brings energy and successful people tend to congregate around similar types. Who are you spending your time around? Do they bring you up or hold you down? The fire of determination in your belly can be stoked or extinguished by the company you keep.

Follow your gut – I’ll talk more about this in an upcoming blog, but for now I’ll leave you with this parting note. There are actually scientific studies supporting trust of your initial reaction – your gut instinct – which leads to more success than failure. Don’t ignore due diligence, but also listen to that little voice inside that gave you the first answer. It’s the same voice that controls determination.

Much like building a healthy physical body, determination doesn’t develop overnight. It’s one of those things that only seem to appear out of nowhere after you’ve put in a lot of hard work. And just like it’s easy to skip that trip to the gym when you’re tired, the path of least resistance in your life usually means not exercising determination.

Determination is not about instant gratification. It is the exact opposite. Take the person who builds their business empire from nothing and the person who has it handed to them as a birthright. Which one of these people do you think is more determined? I’m betting my money with the person who worked for it.

Mindset

The other day I asked a client to think about a leader she admired and after a few seconds of silence she said: “His name is Bob. He is a poised and self-confident managing director who rarely stumbles or makes mistakes,” and then she reflected for a minute before adding, “He is kind of unapproachable, he never loses an argument and is very cerebral.”

There’s no doubt confidence is a key leadership trait, but a genuine leader is self-aware despite not having all the answers and still empowers others to seek them out. They are aware of their shortcomings and secure a diverse team who will compliment instead of copy their style. The leader who is continuously learning, understands their own purpose and the overall company’s direction has the winning edge in the long term.

Given the right level of technical competence, intelligence and experience, self-awareness might be one of the most important components of great leadership. It gives those who possess it an advantage to create growth within themselves and to grow others.

Know Your Purpose – Genuine leaders know why they are in the role they are in. They are patient and confident with a high level of tolerance toward conflict.  Knowing their purpose means they rely on their vision and personal value system to inspire others and lead the way.

Make Peace With Your Weaknesses – Self-aware leaders make better decisions because they are aware of their blind spots and engage their teams more. They are efficient because they constantly evaluate past mistakes and make plans to avoid them in the future.

Lead With Compassion – To lead with compassion means striking a balance between head (strategy) and heart (empathy).  By practicing compassion, leaders are in a better position to inspire others to fulfill their full potential, increasing the odds of the team’s success.

John Mackey, co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, leads the way when it comes to self-awareness and his business moves all revolve around knowing what he and his company stand for and what makes them both tick.  Mackey knows his why; he is aware of his weaknesses and leads with compassion. His values are non-negotiable and include customer loyalty, employee engagement and creating a sense of purpose for his company and the community.

In his book Conscious Capitalism, Mackey beautifully expands on this concept. Obviously, the goal of a commercial organization is to create profit, but Mackey insists the first step for sustained success is to clearly define a company’s higher purpose past maximizing profits.

Once the purpose is clear, Mackey suggests to design everything the organization and its leaders do based on creating value for its stakeholders.

Simply put, if you’re in a leadership role, pay attention to your values and motivations, make sure they are in alignment with your business or place of work. Once you’ve thought about it, keep it at the front of your mind at all times and when you lead others (or lead yourself) remember all of it. Find and use this self-awareness as your compass.

Mindset