BG (Ret) Brian Layer ’82 knows a few things about leadership. In this Forbes column he lays out daily goals to avoid missing leadership opportunities.
Years ago, I picked up a pearl of wisdom from coaching great, John Wooden. Make each day your masterpiece! Living at that level is a powerful and challenging concept. Most of us fall short and it's easy to blame our circumstances and those around us for their distraction. Yet, a leader has a duty to perform at the highest possible level and an honest assessment may reveal days laden with missed leadership opportunities.
The riddle of a leadership masterpiece is the hands of others reveal our artistry. Therefore, we must make their performance and growth our daily focus. How much time do we really spend helping, leading, and developing others? That’s an important question because it reveals our priorities.
The following daily goals will help assess your performance. You can use them to review your leadership opportunities at the beginning of the day and assess your performance at the end. In time, these goals will become habits and when they do, you may find you are making each day your leadership masterpiece.
1. Excel in the moment. Your focused attention is true barometer of your interest. Presence in the moment requires discipline, preparation, and empathy.
2. Invest in a relationship and build trust. Relationships built on trust hold up in tough conditions. Every interaction alters the well of trust between two people. A wise leader fills the well at every opportunity. Listen!
3. Help someone else achieve and grow. The success and growth of others is the legacy of great leadership and worthy of your time, energy, and passion.
4. Listen. Take time to listen to a variety of voices. A leader who fails to listen is likely to fail.
5. Connect someone to your vision, mission, and priorities. Every organization has noise and distortion. A leader’s clarity sets the course, builds confidence, and saves time. Never miss an opportunity to tie another’s effort to the greater purpose.