This Simple Daily Practice Helps Turn Ordinary Leaders Into Extraordinary Ones

Before I share this life and leadership changing tip, I first want to make sure that we all have a clear understanding of what “practice” is, at least according to most experts in the behavioral change and breakthrough delivery business.

If I was to ask you, how did you learn how to ride a bicycle, what would you say? Go ahead, say it out loud. {PAUSE}

Most respond to this question by saying, “I had training wheels” or, “my parents helped me” or, “I fell off and got back on again” or, something similar. And, while none of these are wrong, there is a better answer.

You got on it every day!

If you had attempted to ride your bicycle once a month odds are you would have never actually broken through. Further, if you had tried once every other week or even once a week, you still would likely have never broken through.

The important lesson here therefore, is that practice is every day! Anything other than every day is what I call dabbling, and dabbling typically doesn’t change behavior and create breakthrough. It is every day practice that changes behavior and creates those life changing, long sought after breakthroughs.

And, speaking of breakthrough, there are 3 main areas in which they occur. The two kinds that most people experience, if at all are:

Breakthroughs In Your Work or Profession (remuneration centered breakthrough) – if you are an accountant, lawyer, tech code writer, woodworker, etc. you must practice your craft while working in it to improve.

Breakthroughs In Your Personal Passions (pleasure centered breakthrough) – playing golf, sailing, fitness, cooking, gardening, painting, etc.

The all important third breakthrough area however, the one that delivers the greatest impact are those related to the practice of better BEING.

Practices that challenge your mindset, your story, your limiting beliefs, your minute to minute routines and habitual decisions, even practices in how you see things. It is specifically these kind of daily practices that “help turn ordinary leaders into extraordinary ones”.

Let’s say for example you begin practicing how you wish to be seen – how you want others to see you. Imagine now walking into work every day with a crystal clear understanding of how you wish to be seen and you create that intention all throughout your day – in every conversation, in every meeting, in every email.

Now, let’s pretend you are the type of manager, leader or person that wishes to be seen as a great listener or, someone who really really cares (has empathy), or perhaps someone who is tough when they have to be but, always honest and fair.

Don’t you think if you practiced this intention every day, the chances of you being seen this way are far greater than if you had no intention and didn’t practice it at all? Of course it is!

Now, here is the larger leap forward, imagine you practice this to the point it becomes a habit and that habit becomes a part of you. Because you are a great leader, you then add another better “being” practice, and then another.

This is what truly great leaders do folks. They not only practice how they wish to be seen through this thing called the power of intention, they are always adding new, better “being” practices which over time designs an intentional desired collective reality!