This is the 8th of 16 weekly installments on The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership. Every Thursday, I will break down the 5 Pillars and show you how becoming and influential leader will not only improve your job skills but your personal life as well.
The 5 Pillars is a project that I have been working on for almost two years and am looking forward to officially launching “The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership” Coaching program on May 23th.
Why the 5 Pillars? I have spent more than 30 years in the business world and although it has been primarily in the Construction world, the 5 Pillars philosophy works across all industries. In fact, while developing this program I realized that it can have a significant impact on your personal life as well.
I will break down each Pillar into three sections, personal, business and community. Any growth or improvement needs to start within, with the end goal of influencing the community you live in. In this post we will take a look at PERSONAL GROWTH.
Our personal growth journey is highly dependent on two things; Intentionality and Accountability. Deciding to do something accomplishes little. You have to do it. In more cases than not, you need to be held accountable to achieve your goals. Let’s take a look at some of the areas we need to be growing in daily.
CHARACTER
It has been said that the true test of character is how you act when nobody else is looking. I think there is much truth to that statement, however, the real truth is that people are looking. What do you think people see when they are looking at you?
ATTITUDE
Most of us have a tendency to blame something or someone when something goes wrong. This is usually reflected in our attitude. The simple fact is that we are the only one that can determine our attitude. Simply put, it is a choice. Only we can decide how our attitude will be and the thing often overlooked is how contagious that attitude can be.
PERSONAL GROWTH
We all know the things that we need to do, but how many of them are we actually doing? Personal growth is what takes us to the next level. Determine where you want to go and you will know how you need to grow.
SACRIFICE
One of my mentors once told me that to say yes to one thing is saying no to another. I never really looked at it that way but it’s true and sometimes saying no means that you have to sacrifice something. What is one thing in your life right now, that you could sacrifice, to make room for something else more important?
PERSEVERANCE
We have all heard the phrase “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” As related to that statement, how tough are you? Winston Churchill said; “Never, never, never give up.” Sounds like pretty good advice to me. You really have to ask yourself the question; “How bad do I really want it.”
DISCIPLINE
Jim Rohn said; “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” When you think about it, he is spot on. To set a goal is one thing, to accomplish it, is entirely another. New Year’s resolution anyone! Have someone hold you accountable and you will be amazed at how much better you get regarding discipline.
INTEGRITY
What things prompt you to compromise your integrity? We all have a certain value system that when asked a question, the answer is obvious, yet when actually tempted, the answer becomes much more clouded. What things do you do in your life that demonstrate you are a person of integrity? Maybe this is a difficult question to answer.
SELF-CONFIDENCE
Self-confidence may be the most important piece in your personal journey of growth. I think the most important thing we can do to grow is to believe in ourselves. You can have the same impact on others by believing in them as well. Henry Ford said; “If you think you can or you think you can’t you are probably right.” Do you agree with Mr. Ford?
SELF-CONTROL
Self-control is the ability to choose the right thing over the wrong thing. Maybe it’s the food you eat, the words you say or the behavior you exhibit. The ability to control your actions comes from the ability to make a decision. Putting thought into the “why” behind that decision will always push you in the right direction.
The 5 Pillars coaching program will take each topic to a much deeper level. We will explore open ended questions and how they are directly impacting your life and more specifically in this segment, will allow you to evaluate and understand how you alone are the only one who can craft your personal growth journey.
In the mean time, start asking the type of questions that will result in better answers. When you ask “How can I” you get an answer that will move the needle. “How can I be held accountable to accomplish the things I know I need to do?” Answer that question, act on it, and you will succeed.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER FOR THE MAY 23RD CALL
RELATED:
- Click here to see Part 1 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
- Click here to see Part 2 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
- Click here to see Part 3 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
- Click here to see Part 4 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
- Click here to see Part 5 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
- Click here to see Part 6 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
- Click here to see Part 7 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
- For more on The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership and to view my video click here
- To view my guest post in the 2013 International Leadership Blogathon click here
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Barry Smith 5/23/13 photo by author © Building What Matters 2013
