STEP 1: Think differently and rapidly move to action.
A while back I wrote about not doing what's popular. The first step here resonates with that same idea. Try not to toe the line, follow the herd, try too hard to conform, or blend in with the crowd. Trying to be just like others means we are trapped in our comfort zone. That's why it's called a comfort zone, because stepping out of it is like walking out in a dress you are uncomfortable wearing and not used to. Super leaders pave the way - first of themselves, and by example, for others.
The Challenge: Comfort zones come naturally to human beings. However, comfort zones are dangerous places to be in today's rapidly changing times. The skill you are great at today might not be needed three years down the line, or there might be too many others who can do what only a few can do today.
The Key: Innovate around your core strength and come up with a new application for what you are great at. That's a potent combination for a leader.
3 Practical ideas:
Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Seriously. This sounds like a cliche, but I have experienced it in my own career. Try not to shy away from things you have never done before. If you don't do them now, you might find it even tougher to do them two years down the line. Maybe, the latest promising initiative in your team is not your cup of tea. Ask yourself, why not? What's holding you back from doing something that might mean your future success and growth. You might still choose to not participate, but at least know your reasons clearly.
Step up on innovation. We often get lazy about innovation because it's so much easier to do what we are already good at. If it helps you to motivate yourself, then let me say - it's a dangerous to not change. A young, bright person bursting with new ideas might make you redundant before you know. Let's say, you give a stock presentation to your customer. And that's what you are supposed to do. Even then, what might be the results if you sat in a quiet place with the boring presentation and did two things: a) Figure out three recommendations to make the presentation engaging, more relevant, and a better sell to the client, and b) Sincerely ask yourself what can you do personally to make the job less boring and repetitive for yourself. Could you gather more data on the client and customize it as you spoke? Is there space for some quick anecdote to engage the client than point at slides endlessly?
Get moving. Let me underline this point. Nothing changes in life as long as we only talk about it during our tea-time huddles. My mantra is to act on what appeals to me greatly. I felt from my heart that I wanted to express myself through more than one medium, and this blog came about. I am not doing anything very difficult when I write this blog. But the decision to create this a/c, understand how it works, decide on my themes and actually write around them....took some real effort. Though it was all enjoyable because this is what I wanted to do.
Coming up tomorrow - Step 2: Create successful partnerships in your immediate team
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