This is the 5th 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 ENVIRONMENT.
The environment that we live in impacts the way we live in countless ways. The question is “Is my current environment conducive to my growth?”
ENTITLEMENT
Do you believe that you are entitled to promotion and success based on tenure and seniority? An environment based on advancement through learning and achievement will produce more growth.
EXPECTATIONS
Do you expect that if you simply show up and “put in your time” good things will happen? Or do you understand and acknowledge that success only comes through hard work and perseverance?
FEAR
Are you afraid of speaking your mind because of what other people might think or are you able to embrace fear and use it as a motivator regardless of the outcome?
ETHICS
Are you in an environment that forces you to compromise your integrity or character in order to succeed. Morals and ethics are critical in building trust and respect. Compromise your ethics and eventually that will become your reputation.
FAILURE
Failure in some environments is viewed as the end. Is this the case where you currently are, or is failure viewed as a stepping stone to success?
INSPIRATION
Are you around people that inspire you to get better? Where do you get your inspiration? The lack of inspiration will eventually eliminate engagement and motivation. Two characteristics seen in all great teams.
THINKING
Is thinking outside the box encouraged in your workplace or are you simply required to do your job? If you feel like a hamster on a treadmill, you might not be in an environment that will ever get you out of the cage.
LOYALTY
Is there a sense of loyalty in your workplace? Do your coworkers speak well about where they work? Are people willing to go the extra mile? A loyal team builds unity and community. These are two necessities for all of us.
SECURITY
It is a human condition to desire security. Do you feel safe in your current environment or are you stressed out because you have no idea what is next? Do you know the overall vision of your team?
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 your environment and how it negatively or positively impacts your well being and your potential to succeed.
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 improve my environment so that it is more conducive to my growth?” Answer that question, act on it, and you will succeed.
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
- 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 www.buildingwhatmatters.com 5/2/13 photo by author
