Excellence is a mighty goal to strive for in anything, and even more so when it comes to leadership. You see, the fact that you have authority over a team or group of people does not mean that you are also their leader.
Usually the leader is the person that displays the most excellence among the members of the group. The kind of person that others usually refer to as being a “natural leader”. Well, let me impart to you a small secret: there are not born leaders, just made ones. And if you want to improve your leadership skills you have to embrace excellence and strive for it.
There are no half measures for a leader. You either take the reins and lead or you don’t. There is no part time leader. The moment you take a step back from leading – especially during a trying time – that is the moment when you lose a lot of all the trust and faith your followers had in you.
When you are the leader you need to have as impeccable behaviour as you can. The good news is that you don’t need to be the best in the world. You just need to be the best among all the members of the group you are leading. Its members have to know that if push comes to a shove you are capable of doing their tasks, and maybe even do them better. And because you can fill any position in the team you have the overview required to lead them.
And trust me, you need your team members to know you are capable of doing all of their jobs if need be (of course not all of them at the same time). That way they won’t mind when you will scrutinize their daily practices with the goal of helping them perform better. Most of them will welcome your insights and follow your advice because they perceive you as a source of real world experience.
By constantly striving for excellence yourself, you will keep sharpening your skills each day. On one hand this will inspire your team members to also strive to improve on a daily basis. On the other hand it will also help you move beyond your comfort zone and help the business grow and expand constantly.
Leadership excellence is what is required to be able to keep pushing the business forward towards new growth goals and increased profitability. It turns continuous improvement in a way of life.
A great reading reference: Leadership: Discover the Qualities of Leaders and How to Use Them in Your Own Life for Ultimate Success