When writing No-Drama Leadership which was published in 2015, I had the privilege to interview one of the greatest leaders of our time, Francis Hesselbein, former CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. Frances defines leadership as a matter of how to be, not how to do, saying, “We have spent half of our lives learning how to do, and teaching other people how to do. But we know in the end it is the quality and character of the leader that determines the performance—the results.” My January article offers sixteen ways to elevate your leadership, with the emphasis on who you need to “BE” in order to achieve these simple but often neglected “to-dos.”

1.       Build Trust
In order to build trust you must be trustworthy. This requires a habit of doing what you say you will do. You keep your word. You don’t say, “Let me get back to you” lightly. You speak truth kindly. You are careful not to give undeserved praise just to make someone feel good nor do you use honesty as an excuse to express your anger. Building trust takes a high degree of awareness and intentional actions.

2.       Master your Thinking
We human beings think over 60,000 thoughts every day and over 70% of those thoughts are either repetitive or negative. When you think negatively and focus on what’s not working, you create new neurons for the purpose of negativity! To master your thinking requires the will to be a positive force.

3.       Use Powerful Language
As a leader your language either makes you and others weak or makes you and others strong. What do you talk about more: what’s working or what’s not working? What’s possible or what’s impossible. What you want or what you don’t want? Using powerful language requires practicing new habits of talking, which also require new ways of thinking.

To view the remainder please visit http://marlenechism.com/blog/elevate-your-leadership-in-2016-2/

Marlene Chism is an executive educator, consultant, and author of Stop Workplace Drama, (Wiley 2011) and No-Drama Leadership (Bibliomotion 2015). She works with executives, and high-performing leaders who want to transform culture in the workplace. To explore opportunities please email marlene@marlenechism.com

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