LEAD Setting the Stage for Successful Leadership.txt

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LEAD Parent Program 

Leadership Education & Advocacy Development 
Empowered Parents: Educated, Engaged, Effective! 


Setting the Stage for Successful Leadership 

Knowing the difference between thoughtful leadership and the kind that happens seemingly by accident is 
critical-not only in your ability to grow and develop as a leader, but to establish a pattern of success 
that's deliberate, and not miraculous. 

Below are eight attributes that separate genuine leadership from leadership that's more a matter of chance: 

1.Real leadership means leading yourself.Passing out orders is as easy as passing out business cards. 
But a prudent leader also knows how to lead himself or herself-not merely to provide a genuine example 
to others, but to become a working element of the overall machinery of your business. It's important that 
leaders have the ability to focus and motivate themselves as they motivate others. 

2.Don't be a monarch.Thoughtful leadership likely means you already have a talented work force in 
place.That's terrific. But be careful not to set up a throne room in the process. Accidental leaders often 
inadvertently establish a system of guidance that's unnecessarily restrictive.Guide people, but don't 
implement more parameters than are absolutely necessary. "It's important to influence the people with 
whom you work/partner with. Don't see your position/organization as a hierarchy. 

3.Be open to new ways of doing things.One potential land mine of a prosperous operation is to repeat 
anything that proves successful. It's hard to argue against that, but an inadvertent leader will put far too 
much stock in sticking with what always works. By contrast, thoughtful leadership acknowledges success 
but also recognizes there are always ways to do things better. 

5.Establish a genuine sense of commitment.Establish how to quantify excellence, design a cogent plan 
to achieve it, and set a reasonable but real timetable for its completion. 

6. Finish the job. A thoughtless leader who never genuinely fmishes anything loses the confidence of 
clients and followers. Set goals and establish pragmatic, accountable measures to actually finish what 
you start. The ability to complete things is critical, because families depend on follow up and follow 
through. Nothing's useful unless you actually complete it. 
7.Show genuine appreciation.Thoughtless leaders must have forearms like Popeye's, what with all the 
back-slapping they do. That's fine, but good performance requires a more substantive response. Leaders 
with an eye to the future hand out praise. That motivates people, not only to get involved, but stay 
involved and apply themselves with enthusiasm. 


8.Know that leadership skills come from learning.Far too many people believe leadership skills stem 
from some sort of wondrous epiphany or other such flash of insight. Sure, great ideas can come to any of 
us, but being a bona fide leader also means study.Read books on effective leadership, attend seminars, 
and pick the brains of colleagues to see what works for them.Itcan be a long education,but one with 
rewards that multiply with the more knowledge you have under your belt. 

How to Deal with Anxiety 

Everyone gets nervous when speaking to a group or taking on a new challenge: 
Acknowledge your anxiety, tell yourself you can do it, than just do it! 

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Be prepared! Rehearse! Don't wait until the last minute to prep for a 
meeting/presentation. 
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Organize what you would like to say:have your main points written on note cards. 
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Speak from your heart: use your own personal experiences (brief examples). 
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Take a long, deep breath: Research shows it really does work!