More Ways to Improve Your Leadership Skills
Reading Biographies of Great Leaders can Inspire You
As we continue to discuss Leadership skills and how they relate to you, a Vibrant Holistic Visionary and Light Worker, today I’d like to cover the benefits of reading. There are countless benefits of reading, especially reading the success stories of other people who have a holistic business. Reading how others reached their goals can be quite inspiring and I’m sure you’ll find lots great ideas you’ll be able to implement in your own holistic business by reading these books. There’s really no better format than biographies when it comes to gaining insight into how people throughout history made it big. No matter where you are on your journey right now, reading the stories of others who have achieved what you want to achieve can be beneficial to the development of your own leadership skills. You may wish to look at the life of Steve Jobs of Apple, Mary Kay cosmetics founder Mary Kay Ash, auto giant Lee lacocca’s story, or the biography of Walmart’s Sam Walton. Let’s look at the ways you can get inspired by great leaders when you read biographies.
Find a Role Model
First of all, reading biographical accounts gives you a great deal of insight into a person’s character, their personal histories, and what shaped them into the person they eventually became. This information can be incredibly influential. Start by looking for biographies written by others who have a holistic business similar to yours. Or possibly someone who has the same characters as you and struggled to become a great leader because they were an introvert, shy or highly sensitive. When you read the biography of someone you admire or relate to, it can be almost like gaining a virtual mentor. You may find yourself aspiring to be like this person. You certainly can learn from them and embrace the qualities you wish to emulate for yourself.
Gain Practical Knowledge
You can gain a great deal of practical, useful knowledge when you read the accounts of others’ lives. This is especially true if you choose someone with a similar business to yours or whose life is somehow relevant to your own. However, reading an interesting story, even if the person isn’t someone you have a lot in common with or admire, can give you a lot of information to help you in your own leadership pursuits. In reading these stories, you see all that went into making the person a success or even what may have caused their downfall. You get practical knowledge about leadership skills you can apply to your own life and holistic business. You may even see how they dealt with challenges you face on a day to day basis.
Increase Motivation
When you see that others have built a successful holistic business upon their leadership skills, it can be motivating to do so yourself. Being able to immerse yourself in someone’s story and to learn the lessons they impart is quite powerful. It can lead you to having the confidence to put yourself out there, to take the information you just gained and put it into practice in the real world. You may not find success immediately, but each step you take will bring you closer to reaching your goals, much like the subject of the biography you just read.
A Mentor Can be the Key to Guiding Your Leadership Journey
As we have just discussed, reading biographies gives you a first-hand account of how someone became a successful leader. However, when it comes to learning leadership skills, there’s no better way of learning than directly from someone who’s done the things you wish to accomplish. Hands-on learning from someone who’s been there and done that offers tremendous advantages. Book learning is great and learning independently through trial by fire is sometimes what teaches us some unforgettable lessons. That’s true. However, mentorship provides an education that can really help you to get ahead. Check out the benefits of finding a mentor to guide you on your leadership journey.
Shorten the Learning Curve
It can take years to navigate the ins and outs of leadership on your own. Having a mentor can cut that time dramatically by giving you business insider information you won’t necessarily be able to access anywhere else. A mentor who is in a position you aspire to, or one that holds skills you want to gain is ideal. These experts can give you direct instruction on specific issues as they arise in your holistic business and give you advice on how they worked their way into their particular spot or show you trade secrets that can shed light on your path to growth.
Build Your Network
Another thing that takes time is developing your professional or personal network. Having a wide variety of contacts within your holistic area can benefit you in countless ways. Your network provides you with education, support, opportunities, assistance, and more. Having a mentor allows you potential access to this established person’s network. Your mentor can make introductions to people in-the-know who might become lifelong friends or associates. You never know when you may want to call on such individuals in the future.
Find Inspiration
As I mentioned above, hearing someone else’s personal success story can be incredibly inspiring. This is even more true if you have a real-life, personal connection to the individual and you’re learning from them directly. When your mentor shares anecdotes of personal trials and tribulations, it can carry great meaning and impact. You’ll be more likely to move forward with your own ideas when motivated by someone you know and admire. They will also give you the confidence to keep moving forward when times get tough or you are finding aspects of your new leadership role emotionally challenging.
Get Support
Finally, we all know it’s hard out there. Making it on our own can be exhausting and humbling, especially for those of us who are sensitive and natural introverts. There’s so much to learn, and those lessons can come with some pretty harsh consequences to our spirit. A good mentor can provide you with a sounding board. They can be a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on when you’re dealing with particularly tough times. A well-chosen mentor has been there and experienced what you’re going through, so they will be able to offer solid advice for dealing with your current situation. The support gained through mentorship is invaluable, especially when you’re just starting out on your leadership journey.
A mentoring relationship is a two-way street. Like other relationships, you’ll be expected to put forth effort to keep it afloat. Choose a mentor you feel a connection with, someone you genuinely like, and an individual you see yourself with for the long haul. This relationship can be one of the most beneficial and fulfilling you’ll ever have.
