This is the 3rd 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 16th.

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 BUSINESS AWARENESS.

We need to know where we are at, what we have done that brought us here and most importantly, where we want to be.

PURPOSE

You would be surprised by how many people think that their purpose is to be profitable. Question … Do you select the people you want to do business with because you want them to make money? Probably not. The underlying purpose in business is what leads to success.

RELATIONSHIPS

There is not a business out their that does not depend on their relationships to survive. Relationships are what lead to success and also what allow you to survive when things are tough.

SKILLS

Most people are hired because of their resume. That is merely a way to get through the door. You must be aware of what skills are needed for you to advance and how to go about developing them.

STRESS

Most people try and figure out ways to eliminate stress when the truth is that much of our stress is the result of things beyond our control. Yes, you can eliminates some of the stress you create but focusing on how to manage “outside” stress makes a bigger difference.

CURIOSITY

Businesses that have the “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” mind-set will probably end up broken. Today’s market is simply too competitive. Being curious about what’s next will lead you there.

POTENTIAL

There are an unlimited number of factors that keep you from reaching your potential. The awareness of these limiting factors or beliefs is the first step in overcoming them.

PASSION

If you don’t have a certain amount of passion for what you are doing, you will find it difficult to be fulfilled from your job. This works for business as well. Survival of any company will be connected to the passion they have for their business.

CLARITY

Clarity is one of the key elements in proper awareness. A clear picture on what your current status is and a clear way forward are necessary for growth. Lack of clarity leads to becoming stuck, or worse.

FRIENDSHIP

The human emotion is something that follows us wherever we go. Creating friendships allows us to keep the personal element alive and working in the business environment. We are not machines and can’t sustain if we act like them.

My 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 increase your level of awareness as it relates to your business environment. Business awareness is the key to survival in a competitive world.

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 part of the solution in raising the level of awareness in my workplace” Answer that question, act on it, and you will succeed.

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Barry Smith www.buildingwhatmatters.com 4/18/13 photo by author

10 Comments

Emelie on April 18, 2013 at 8:51 am

Very insightful. Thanks for writing this! Visiting from UBC 🙂
- Barry on April 19, 2013 at 7:53 am
  
  Thanks Emelie. I appreciate the support.
Sheree on April 18, 2013 at 9:04 am

Good stuff. Thanks for sharing. This takes a lot of your time and is helpful.
- Barry on April 19, 2013 at 7:53 am
  
  Time well invested when it makes a difference. Thanks for the support Sheree.
Robert Kennedy III on April 18, 2013 at 9:11 am

Great breakdown. Great importance should be placed on the relationships. That is the wild card for me.

via UBC
- Barry on April 19, 2013 at 7:54 am
  
  Thanks Robert. All else said, relationships are what really matters. There may come a point in our lives, when that’s all we have.
Sharon on April 18, 2013 at 9:19 am

Thanks for this post, Barry. Passion and Clarity are very important for me because without those, I lose steam and begin fumbling around.
- Barry on April 19, 2013 at 7:55 am
  
  Definitely agree that they are two of the big ones Sharon. Thanks for sharing!
Dan Forbes on April 18, 2013 at 2:09 pm

I’ve been thinking a lot about clarity recently. I”m glad to see you call attention to it here. Ambiguity is not very inspring, is it?
Barry on April 19, 2013 at 7:56 am

Thanks Dan. I agree with you wholeheartedly, ambiguity is not very inspiring. Thanks for the insight!