Level-up Your Leadership

Have you ever watched a home remodeling show where a dilapidated house is stripped down to the studs and turned into a spectacular home?

I’m always amazed by the before and after comparison shots. The contractor manages to turn a cramped bedroom into a luxurious sleeping space and an oddly configured living room into a fantastic gathering spot – all in 30 minutes.

A house a few doors down from mine is in the midst of a similar overhaul. The walls are torn apart, the windows have been removed, and the doors are gone. The structure is a skeleton of its former self, but I know it won’t stay that way forever. True, it won’t happen in 30 minutes, but I know it will happen.

Why am I so confident?

There is a “Coming Soon'” sign in the yard adjacent to an architect’s rendering of the finished project. While most see only crumbling walls and a damaged roof, those engaged in the project see a strong foundation and unrealized potential.

In many ways, great leaders do similar work. They look at people and see the unlimited potential within them and work to help to bring that potential into the world.

I’ve been fortunate to have leaders like this in my life, and I hope that you have as well. If you have yet to find a leader who helps you reach your full potential, keep looking. They are out there, and you shouldn’t settle for anything else.

I also encourage you to choose to be this type of leader for those on your team. To help your efforts, we’ve created a short video and tool focused on four key questions:

1. Foundation: What has this person done in the past to show their value?
2. Potential: What can they do that they don’t even realize is possible?
3. Communicate: How can you communicate that potential?
4. Support: How can you best support them reaching their potential?

Watch the video; then, fill out one form for each team member. Consider what they have done in the past to add value, reflect on what they have the potential to achieve, and identify how you can both communicate and support their efforts. Then, get to work and unleash that potential.

This week’s podcast features a conversation with author and speaker Kevin Brown. We discuss Kevin’s latest book, Unleashing Your Hero: Rise Above Any Challenge, Expand Your Impact, and Be the Hero the World Needs. Give it a listen. Kevin is inspiring and will help you to see the potential in yourself and others.