Getting to the next level in your business requires 'next level' leadership behaviour

Have you ever heard the quote:

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them” by Albert Einstein?

Einstein suggests that shifting how we look at things provides us with the clarity to find solutions. In order to shift our thinking though, understanding our behaviours can help identify how we think or feel about things. So, let’s look at your leadership behaviours.

First, what do I mean about next level behaviour?

This is the higher level behaviours we use when we are at our best selves and step into a more evolved or expanded version of the role we are striving to inhabit.

As an example, for the business owner, next level leadership behaviour may come when you consider what you would do if you thought about what your business needed from you. Or, what you would do if fear wasn’t in the way?

What behaviours would you need to lean into more fully in order to execute in a critical area? This could be what your business needs to enhance it’s marketing or sales process, for example. Or, it could be what’s needed to improve any process in your business, for that matter.

As a business leader there are behaviours that contribute to the success of your business and there are behaviours that are neutral (may not have an impact either way) and then some that may even put up challenges to achieving success.

Here are some behaviours I have observed that can prevent us from evolving in our leadership effectiveness:

Passing judgement too quickly - when this happens, we impose our standards on others. We don’t see that there may be another way. This is limiting and constricts our options, not expands them. We might be missing out on new ideas, new pathways, never mind what it could be doing to that team member/partner that’s on the receiving end of your quick judgement.

Adding too much ‘value’ - we know a lot. People generally want to know what you know and want your opinion often, I’m sure. But, adding or weighing in on every conversation or situation is not effective. It doesn’t allow others to problem-solve on their own, generate ideas, and your bandwidth is going to shrink considerably and you will be at risk of burnout the longer this goes on. Understand the key areas of your work where you can add the most value and focus on those areas.

Making excuses - it’s so easy to believe that circumstances are responsible for why we do and not do things. And it’s easy to blame away our bad/poor behaviour and believe it. We can tell ourselves stories to reason our way out of things, whether we are looking for others to excuse our behaviour or to explain it away to ourselves.

I’m guessing that many of us have been guilty at one time or another of these example behaviours and this is by no means an exhaustive list of limiting behaviours.

The key is to look inward and to look at how you lead and consider this question: “What behaviours contribute to my and my company’s success and which don’t contribute?”

And this question, “To grow in leadership, how can I mitigate or limit the behaviours that don’t serve my business?”. “What do I need to stop doing?”

The area(s) that comes to mind for you is where your next level leadership lies. This could unlock new ideas, new feelings of empowerment for team members, better engagement, increased buy-in to your vision, a greater sense of time, increased efficiency. The list goes on.

So, where do your opportunities lie to practice your next-level leadership behaviour?

I’d love to hear what challenges you have in getting to the next level of your business.

NOW is YOUR time.

Ariana

PS: If this is resonating with you and you’re interested in achieving the next level in your business so you can sustain for the long-term and grow in a way that serves you, then I invite you to book a Business Insight Session with me. You’ll uncover where your biggest challenges are to growth and sustainability, and your next best step to take. Book a time here.