By Diane Lazarowicz – Top Performance Results, LLC
In part one of this three-part series on Inner Leadership Driven, we took the first step toward becoming inner driven leaders by discussing Personal Competence where we defined our core values, personal mission statement, and authenticity.
After all, In part two of this series, we explored Social Competence and examined our social skills and interactions with other people.
In this final series, we will discuss the last competency of Inner Driven Leadership: Behavioral Competence. Here we will explore some behaviors of inner driven leaders such as goal setting, long-range planning, and life-long learning.
We begin with the first behavior of inner driven leaders, goal setting. Successful leaders use goal-setting techniques to help them plan a roadmap toward success.
Not only can goals boost performance, but also they can help one feel motivated and inspired to achieve their goals. When I first began my business, I had never set goals before and was unsure of where to start. So, let us begin with SMART goals.
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound: Leadership Driven
- Specific: Be specific about what you want to achieve. Try not to be vague. Include a lot of detail. Answer the question, “My goal is to . . .”
- Measurable: Determine how you will measure your progress. Can you see the desired results or measure them against something existing?
- Achievable: Develop a strategy for how you are going to achieve your goal. What skills, knowledge, and resources are needed to achieve this goal? Are you equipped? Is it realistic?
- Relevant: Define your “Why.” Why do you want to achieve this goal? How does this goal relate to you and your business or life?
- Time Bound: Set a deadline. Goals without deadlines tend to be put off. On what date do you plan to achieve the goal?
Smart Goals- Inner Leadership Driven
When preparing your SMART goals, write them down because written goals are more likely to be achieved. Also, share your goals with others. Telling others adds an element of accountability making you more apt to make them happen.
In addition, try to visualize and experience your goals. Deeply submerge your thoughts into what achieving that goal will be like. If possible, engage the five senses. Ask yourself, how you will feel when the goal happens?
What changes will you see in your life? Can you taste or smell anything as a result of reaching your goal like the salty seashore? What will you are able to touch as a result of achieving your goal? What sounds will you hear? After answering these questions, take the time to create a vision board and place it where you can see it each day to inspire and motivate you to continue on.
Now that you have your SMART goals written, let us discuss the next behavior of inner driven leaders, which is Long-Range Planning. Once your goals have been created, you need to determine how you will make them happen. The chart below shows the process one would take to create the action steps needed to achieve their goals:
Using the chart above, let us walk through an example of how this would work if our goal was to create a social media plan.
Yes, this may appear time-consuming and it is initially. But, once complete, it serves as a detailed roadmap toward achieving this goal. Actually, this was one of my recent goals and I completed a plan just like this in about 3-4 hours. The objective is to Plan the Work and Work the Plan so you can achieve your goal.
Besides goal setting – Leadership Driven
Inner driven leaders have a 5-Year Plan. Once again, when I began my business, I did not have one. When asked, “Where do you see yourself in five years,” I said, “I don’t know.”
I was then told that if I did not have a plan, I would most likely be in the same place I am today five years from now. Imagine remaining stagnant with no growth personally or professionally for five years. That thought prompted me to create a 5-Year Plan for my life and business. Here again, it took time, about 5-8 hours, but was worth it.
Begin with a big picture of what you want to accomplish in Year One, then Year Two, and so on. When complete, you will have mapped out the next five years of your life.
Having a plan like this is motivational and keeps you focused on what is really important. By no means is this plan locked in stone as you can change it at any time.
The last behavior of inner driven leaders is to be a Life-long Learner. Most leaders are learners. It is important to continue to be a student of life. Read books, listen to audiobooks, take courses, and attend seminars.
Learning fuels growth for leaders
Other opportunities for growth include taking leadership and DiSC assessments and working with an executive/leadership coach. Very often leaders do not know what they do not know so coaching is valuable in helping them develop.
This concludes part three on the Behavioral Competencies of Inner Driven Leadership. In this section, we explored the behavioral skills of goal setting,
long-range planning, and long-term learning, all necessary to be an inner driven leader. In the Inner Driven Leadership series, we explored the three competencies of Inner Driven leadership: Personal, Social, and Behavioral Competencies. As a final review of this series, continue on your Inner Driven Leadership journey by completing the following action steps. Thank you for joining us on this journey.
Action Steps:
Diane Lazarowicz is an award-winning executive coach and communication and leadership expert who helps women trust their inner voice to achieve their goals through the delivery of strong communication and leadership.
Diane has over thirty-five years of professional business experience and is a Suma Cum Laude graduate of Robert Morris University.
As a life-learner, she is also a graduate of the Referral Institute and the Dale Carnegie Skills for Success program. In addition, Diane serves on the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh Airport Chamber of Commerce and is Co-Chair of the Membership Committee. She is also a volunteer and advocate of the “Choices” youth program. TopPerformanceResults.com
