Blog Posts

By: Dr. Scott

We’ve all met great leaders.  Each leader leads differently, but we all know good leaders when we meet them.  They say the right things.  They encourage others.  They are sincere.  They, simply put, lead.  But how did they get that way?  With out a doubt, they worked on it and they continue to work on it.

The best leaders are constantly working to improve their own leadership skills.  In this edition of our Leadership Wednesday series, we look at 3 questions you should be asking yourself each day to help you hone your own leadership skills and continue on your own leadership journey:

What will I accomplish today?

Asking ourselves “what will I accomplish today” helps us sift through our to-do list and identify one important goal for that day.  It can be something big like nailing your presentation and getting the client or it can be something smaller like mowing the yard today so you can go to your daughter’s soccer game tomorrow.  Maybe it's more like a benchmark as you aim to complete at least 75% of the items on your to-list today.  Whatever it is, make sure you have one clear goal or task that you will accomplish that day and be sure to do it.  You may cross other things off your to-do list, but making sure to accomplish one important goal each day ensures long-term goal achievement, guarantees productivity and dependability (two key leadership traits), promotes a work life balance, and many other benefits.

Who will I influence today?

Leadership is influencing others.  So, just as “writers write,” leaders should be influencing others.  We’ve all been influenced by an effective leader—a coach, a teacher, a co-worker, a boss.  They were effective because they influenced us in some way.  The daily practice of asking yourself “who will I influence today” and proactively setting out to positively influence at least one person, allows us to engage all of our gained leadership knowledge and skills as we are thinking about ways to teach, encourage, and motivate others.  This initiates a cycle that hones our own leadership skills overtime by ensuring that we put those leadership skills to good work on a daily basis.  This also allows us to plan ahead and make our leadership interactions more meaningful and impactful. 

Who influenced me today?

Honest self-assessment is another key leadership trait.  So, toward the end of each day, it is important to reflect and think about ways that you were influenced that day.  Maybe it truly was a supervisor who influenced you with their leadership skills.  Often times, though, it maybe by an author of something you read or maybe it was the way a co-worker handled a particular situation.  Maybe it was an act of kindness you witnessed.  By actively reflecting on the ways that you were positively influenced that day, we benefit twice:  from the positive influence and the example of how to positively influence others ourselves.

Thank you for reading the MSPD Leadership Wednesday Series where, each week, we provide three leadership best practices tips and hacks.  Until next week, happy leading!