Many business leaders are juggling many tasks these days. As a result, their leadership development can often take a back seat.

That's why I love leadership quotes. They are a quick lesson in practical leadership principles that can help sharpen our saws, even during the busiest times.

Here are a few that caught my eye recently. I've wrapped them around an experience I had early in my leadership journey to further illustrate their power.

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A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and help those who are doing well to do even better.  -Jim Rohn

At one large company I worked for, I had been in my position for a while and had accomplished great things, but I didn't see any possibilities for challenging work on the horizon. I was performing at a lower level than I could because I was bored with the status quo.

That's when the best boss I ever had stepped in. He presented me with the idea of running a Voice of the Customer process team for the whole company, and I accepted his offer. This new role instantly energized me, and through the process, I gained additional skills that were key to launching my consulting firm after I left the company.

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A leader takes people where they would never go on their own. - Hans Finzel

My boss instinctively knew I would not volunteer for such a role because I lacked confidence in my ability to lead during that career phase. Offering this role signified that he was confident in my ability to excel, which paved the way to my success.

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Leaders instill in their people a hope for success and a belief in themselves. Positive leaders empower people to accomplish their goals.  -Unknown

Not only did offering the role boost my confidence, he told me I'd do a great job. His belief empowered me to lead with excellence. Not only that, the experience I gained gave me the skills to launch my own business later on down the line.

You never know how one simple decision can change an employee's life trajectory!

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If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader. John Quincy Adams

My boss demonstrated this truth by living out these principles. As leaders, if we can do the same with those that follow our lead, we will have led well.

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Talking about leading well, are you interested in learning how to successfully lead digital transformations in your organization? Many business leaders struggle with this; 84% of all digital transformations fail!

That's why Michael Cantu and I wrote our book, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation. We want to give business leaders a step-by-step roadmap to ensure digital transformation success so they can avoid becoming a part of this statistic.

If you're interested in learning more, click the button below to get started!

With so many aspects of our world and business environment changing daily, many leaders face the challenge of remaining agile and adaptable. Doing so is ultra-important to navigate change successfully.

So what are some keys to becoming more adaptable and agile?

1. Realize a Change-Oriented Mindset

Business leaders must have a mindset that embraces change. Here's a great quote to reinforce the importance:

Most suffering comes from the failure to adapt and a resistance to change. – Debasish Mridha

Change is inevitable, and business leaders who embrace change will naturally become more agile and adaptable during times of upheaval. And as this quote suggests, realizing a change mindset can relieve the suffering of the business leader and, ultimately, the organization.

2. Develop a Plan

Now that you're ready to embrace change, develop an organizational plan to navigate it. This applies to both internal change initiatives and the fall-out of change occurring outside your organization.

For internal change initiatives, it's helpful to include an outline of steps you'll follow and a timeline for their accomplishment.

In addition to the organizational plan, a personal plan for navigating change (both internal and external) can also significantly help a business leader. For instance, if you know you have triggers associated with certain things that will most likely happen, such as dealing with disgruntled and argumentative employees, then develop a plan to deal with these encounters. Also, include several scenarios that could occur to ready yourself to deal with them.

3. Be Accountable in Your Response to Change

Having an outside sounding board can help business leaders become more flexible and agile during change cycles.

If you don't have a mentor or peer group with whom you can regularly discuss ongoing challenges, it's good to get involved with one. Not only will you have a forum to discuss these challenges, but you can also establish goals for which you can be accountable.

Finally, regularly check in with your staff to see how well you are doing with agility and adaptability. Having the humility and discipline to remain accountable in this way can reap enormous dividends for you and the company.


Did you like this blog? If so, check back during the coming weeks. I'll be sharing 7 Essential Skills for Leaders to Embrace. This blog is the second in the series. Other topics will include innovation and creativity, conflict management, and stepping out of your comfort zone, among others. So stay tuned!

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I've been talking about it for a while. The manuscript is reaching its final stages of approval for the release of Michael Cantu's and my paperback, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation! We're hoping to launch by the end of the month or early July.

If you'd like to learn more, click the button below!