“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them”  -William Shakespeare

The era of kings & queens having greatness thrust upon them is over, and people born great are few and far between these days. Nowadays, we have to work to achieve greatness. Basically, there is nothing wrong with working for what we want, except, that we may be quick to give up when the going gets tough.

The same is true when it comes to nurturing your inner leader, and developing your personality and leadership traits. It will take time and effort, molding yourself step by step, until you see the desired results. To discover and nurture your inner leader is a lifelong process. It’s a marathon, rather than a sprint, and it requires patience, perseverance, tenacity, and courage to become a better version of oneself.

Here are 6 steps you can take to develop your Inner Leader:

1. Do a SWOT Analysis

Yes, you read that right! Just like businesses depend on a SWOT Analysis to become more successful, so can you. “SWOT” stands for Strength – Weaknesses – Opportunities and Threats.

Take a moment to write down your biggest strengths and weaknesses, your opportunities and threats, and what situations bring out the best and worst in you. This will help you identify the exact changes you want to make, and how you can use your strengths to maximize your potential. Let us know if you are unsure how to tackle your weaknesses. Helping people to overcome their weaknesses is certainly one of our biggest strengths.

2. Believe in Yourself

“A person who thinks he can, and a person who thinks he can’t, are both usually right”.   – Henry Ford

What we say to ourselves, i.e. our inner dialogue, determines how confident we are, and how successful we think we can be. Work to keep your confidence and commitment to your goals high!

When you find yourself thinking that you are not made for big things, shut that inner voice of insecurity down. Change your focus and rephrase what you say to yourself. Allowing negative self talk to fester will take your self-worth down and leave you feeling unable to achieve your goals!

People who are developing their inner leader have a stronger sense of self-worth, and they believe in their ability to master the ups and downs of life.

3. Sharpen your Communication Skills

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

To become a great communicator we have to be a patient listener first! Great leaders have developed empathy and are able to read the needs and wants of their people, for instance:

Trying to build consensus amongst a team that is pulling in different directions is one of the biggest challenges for a leader. It requires stellar negotiation and consensus building skills to get everyone aligned and moving in the right direction. Great leaders have sharpened these skills and communicate constantly and consistently, and they practice the art of negotiation to get people on their side and keep them their.

4. Become a Lifelong Learner

“Once you stop learning, you start dying”– Albert Einstein

Leadership and learning go hand in hand. Continues learning is essential if you want to unlock your true potential. Lifelong learning doesn’t have to be mostly bookish learning, or acquiring new technical skills. Lifelong learning is much broader and can be practiced through reflection of past experiences, or by studying how great leaders have achieved success despite big challenges.

5. Practice Emotional Intelligence

High Emotional Intelligence (EI) skills are key traits of authentic and successful people. Emotional Intelligence is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict. There are five basic elements to EI that everyone can practice every day:

• Self-awareness
• Self-regulation
• Motivation
• Empathy
• Social skills

Emotionally intelligent people are strong and fair leaders, with a calm and confident demeanor. They have an attractive presence, and connecting with others and build trust comes naturally.

6. Maintain Strong Ethical Values

“When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier” – Roy E. Disney

Successful people have strong ethical values that guide them through life. Every decision they make is anchored in principles that guide them like their North Star, that fixed destination that pulls them in the right direction like a magnet. Strong ethical values are best observed in a person’s character. Here are the six pillars of character:

• Trustworthiness
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Fairness
• Caring
• And Citizenship

To nurture and develop you inner leader means, to look at all of the above in ways that support you in your own unique way. Inner leadership is about being true to yourself, and about doing what you need, to become the best you can be. Should you ever find yourself stuck in this process, reach out and let’s talk. We’d be happy to unstuck you and help you move forward on your journey.