Three Words That Will Make You More Effective

There is a tremendous amount of “psychobabble” out there about the keys to personal success. Lots of quick-fix soothsayers that have the mystical magic cure. I generally subscribe to the theory that you have to prove it to me before I believe it. Call me a cynic or call me cautious, but I have signed up to this idea because it just makes sense and I have seen my client business leaders win using it.

Be – Do – Have

The idea is…….If you want to have something different in your life than you have today, you need to be a different person and do some different things.

Sounds pretty straight forward but here is an example that might improve the optics.

A mid-term CEO yearns for better business results and she has exhausted her ideas about what to do. So instead of a predictable laser like focus on doing more new stuff, her better investment is finding ways to be a different type of leader. An introspective look at who she is and what she stands for is probably the key to garnering support and momentum. Her team will respond quicker and more passionately to a different honest and open style than just layering on more initiatives. Working on herself will be the most effective route, although the pundits (and her training) will say this is the soft and squishy HR stuff.

Most of us are trained to sort through the chaff and to get to the tactical things that we can measure. Many times this is the correct approach, but I encourage you to think introspectively about how effective you are as a leader.

So how do you know what might work? Find a mentor that is courageous. Listen to an objective colleague that will tell you the truth. Hire a coach and take the assessments that will benchmark your skills. Regardless of your decision, get another perspective and strongly consider that the key to getting better results may be in your mindset and what you telegraph to your team. Get some objective and honest help and be more successful.