Why talk about leadership?"

Leadership is important whether you a leader of a team or are a sole proprietor with no one working for you. Effective leadership is actually a way of thinking, a way to get things done.

Successful entrepreneurs of today MUST possess and exude effective leadership skills!

The best leaders are:

◦Personable, ◦entrepreneurial, ◦ethical, ◦positive, ◦good communicators, ◦work hard, ◦demand excellence, ◦excellent at creative problem solving!

Excellent Leaders:

◦know that the rewards will far outweigh any potential negatives on the road to getting things done!

◦take on the mantra, "If it's to be, it's up to me!" Leaders accept FULL 100% accountability and responsibility for everything in their lives!

Below lists some of the differences between the mindset of the mediocre or average entrepreneur and the successful entrepreneur with the LEADERSHIP MINDSET!

Manager mentality (Mindset of the average entrepreneur):

Cope with the complexity of the day
Engage in present tense activity
Do what they are told
Perform to expectations
Hard Working and Analytical

Leaders (Mindset of the successful entrepreneur):

Enact change
Focused on future-tense activities
Involved in what to do
Create Expectations
Visualize a purpose
Are Imaginative and creative
Passionate about what they do
Are risk takers

Now let's compare their attitudes toward goals.

Manager mentality (Mindset of the average entrepreneur):

Impersonal attitudes toward goals
Identify goals based on need
Tend to be reactive

Successful entrepreneur with leader mentality:

Personal attitude toward goals
Active envisioning/promoting their goals
Are proactive
Create the action
Alter the way people think about what is possible

Next differentiating area to look at is how they see themselves (self identity):

Manager mentality (Mindset of the average entrepreneur):

Peaceful life since birth
Social

Successful entrepreneur with leader mentality:

Struggle to find order
Not satisfied with the status quo
Don't take things for granted
Seek change
Focusing on personal mastery in their own lives

So, which of the above attributes can you relate better to? Actually the ones we called those qualities of a mediocre entrepreneur are those of a manager. Managers are good at maintaining the status quo and add stability to companies, but unfortunately don't make for successful entrepreneurs. Leaders and successful entrepreneurs are good at stirring people's emotions, raising their expectations, and taking them in new directions!

As an entrepreneur it is up to you to ensure that you exude effective management traits when necessary. And that you exude effective leadership skills ALWAYS... CONSISTENTLY!! Leaders are the ones who GET THINGS DONE!! As an entrepreneur who is focused on laying the foundation now for an awesome future in your company, it is VERY important that you lead the vision for what your business can achieve. This includes sales goals, customer service levels, marketing initiatives and every aspect of your business.

The best leader entrepreneurs think, "How do my products/services positively affect my clients?"

So what are some steps to becoming OR remaining an effective leader?

1- It all starts with YOUR VISION FOR THE COMPANY! Who would you like to serve? How many clients will you have? Where are your clients? What difference are you making? Etc. Remember, leaders are visionaries! Leaders always have their eyes on what they would like to see in the future! And they make sure that EVERYTHNG they do is in line with that vision. If it is not, they don't do it!

2- Be a GREAT communicator of the vision! (who you are, what you are all about?.) Leaders are excellent communicators and are therefore able to articulate it effectively to others. They know how to get others to listen, be interested and help.

3- Build LOYALTY!! Leaders let others see how hard they work, how sincere they are in their quest to help and serve others, etc. They ask their associates, employees, clients for feedback and then use it to improve. This will definitely build loyalty!

4- Become an expert!! Leaders are seen as experts in their industry!! An expert in helping your clients BEST!! An expert in seeking excellence in all that they do. They speak, write articles and so much more.

5- Proactively create solutions to problems! The words proactive and creative are key! Leaders don't wait for something to happen? good or bad. They look for and anticipate both good and bad, and try to creatively think of ways through both scenarios. They do not avoid or ignore them, but hit them straight on. Some examples: Let's say your business usually slows down in the summer. A leader will ahead of time think of ways to ensure business does NOT slow down and begin marketing efforts and the like to incentivise business in the summer. OR, let's say a client truly needs your product and wants to do business with you, but they are short all of the money needed. You could either lose the business all together or come up with financing options that will keep you whole while allowing the client to come on board.

6- A leader always gathers and shares nformation/resources to help their clients as well as themselves!

7- A leader willingly accepts full accountability 100% of the time!

8- An awesome leader inspects what they expect! They KNOW their business statistics! And do so proactively. When you are in business for yourself, no one is there asking to see the latest report. You need to create your own report. (avg. revenue per customer, income year to date and month to date, trends in their industry, etc.)

9- Servant leadership always wins! There is a fine line to draw between being a pushover and exuding a servant attitude. I encourage you to desire to serve others, help others. Perhaps as a mentor for someone starting out. The successful leaders are servants to their clients, peers and colleagues. They are helpful when they can be, understanding that they are engaging in those things that will also further their business and relationships that will be in line with their vision.

10- An effective leader continually works on growing themselves!! They don't take the easy way out! They work HARD!!

Always an attitude of hope, can-do-while keeping your nose to the grind stone and it WILL happen!

Do you have what it takes to be a great awesome leader? Are you ready to work hard? And have fun while doing it? Are you ready to go out of your comfort zone at times and do things that may feel weird to you? Are you ready to be a servant leader? Are you ready to get your plan together and start your business afresh and put into use many of the items we reviewed today?

I sure hope so!! IT CAN HAPPEN!! Remember, "If it's to be, it's up to me!"

If you would like to take advantage of a complimentary coaching session with me, simply email or call me and we can assess how best to move YOU and YOUR business forward!

Janice Copeland, Owner and Founder-Unlimited Growth Potential, 703-727-4155, www.UnlimitedGrowthPotential.com, Janice@UnlimitedGrowthPotential.com ?

Janice M. Copeland, author of 15 No-nonsense Strategies for Women and myriad self help CDs covering topics pertinent to every area of a woman's life, has over 20 years of combined corporate and entrepreneurial success. Climbing the corporate ladder to a senior level position with responsibility for a team of hundreds taught her many life lessons that she shares readily to her coaching and consulting clients.

She coaches women who are ready for change for the better. Women who know there is more to life available to them, but don't know how to claim it.

Check out all of her resources geared toward helping busy executive women live more balanced, stress and guilt-free lives with more passion and purpose at http://www.unlimitedgrowthpotential.com or call her at 703-727-4155 and ask her your toughest questions. She looks forward to helping you live a vibrant and meaningful life! Yes, you can do it! (even with kids, laundry, hubby, a pile of dirty dishes and a dog that slobbers :))

(c) 2005