YOU CAN BE A GREAT LEADER

Leadership can take on many qualities and wear many different hats. We mainly think of leaders and leadership in the way of businesses, managers and supervisors. Think about what these positions have in common. They take charge. They take care of things. This being the case that means that you, as an individual, can be a great leader with or without a business. Yes, that’s right. Be a leader of yourself and your actions. Need an explanation? Read on.Regardless as to what mountains you climb in life, you have the option of taking on the role of a leader or a follower. How you handle the situation dictates the type of person you are or will be in that particular incident. Want to be a leader? The following six steps outline how to turn being a follower into being a leader in everything you tackle in life and how to control a situation rather than the situation taking control of you.1. Success Methods There are proven methods used by highly successful people that help them achieve what they want in life. The most successful people—those who achieve the goals they set out to achieve and live fulfilling lives—demonstrate certain traits and actions. They are organized, disciplined, curious, open to learning and growing, fearless (or willing to act in spite of fear), positive-minded, and persistent. They take action, measure their results, and change course when necessary.2. Setting goalsSetting goals outlines your intentions for what you plan to do and makes it real to you. Goals are not results! Many people are afraid to set goals because they are afraid of what happens if they "fail" to achieve them. They believe that it negatively affects their self-image. Nothing could be further from the truth. One of the most positive aspects of goals is what not achieving a goal teaches you. If you don't achieve a goal, there can be any number of reasons why, some of which are beyond your control. However, examining why it was not achieved will yield valuable insights into your beliefs, attitudes and emotions.3. Think creatively and don't stop at the obvious Think about options available to you and envision the possibilities of bigger and better ways to do things. Develop the skill of having multiple options instead of settling for the easiest or fastest answer. Explore different possibilities and ask 'what if' questions. Discover new solutions for the old problems - don't take the easy way. When you think you have the answer, think of something else you can do to make it better.4. Your word is your truth Know that when you speak, you will fulfill your promise to others and others will know they can depend on you. Think before you speak. Under promise and over deliver. Always keep your promise, especially promises that you make to yourself.5. Clarity brings accomplishmentOne of the most important things you can do to effectively manage your day, week, month or year is to get clear on what it is you want to achieve. When you lose track of your goals or fail to plan appropriately, you end up spinning in circles and nothing gets accomplished. The clearer you are on your goals, the better results you will get. Make sure your goals are personal to you and not part of someone else's expectations. You will be far more motivated to achieve success when you are working toward something that really matters to you.6. Celebrate! Sit still after an accomplishment and savor the feelings of success. We need to reward ourselves in nurturing ways and celebrate not only our results but our efforts. Just in moving toward your goals you are ahead of many people who simply write them out and then do nothing. Remember the rewards are in the journey as well as in the results. Enjoy the process and celebrate often.

LET OTHER PEOPLE SEE WHO YOU ARE

Do you know anybody that you consider to be particularly engaging and lively? Take a moment to picture that person in your mind. What is it about that person that you find most attractive? He or she may have a charming voice and a great laugh, but it is also very likely that you find their face very expressive. That person is probably quick to smile and laugh and seems to always have a twinkle in their eye.
A face that never shows any emotion, and never smiles is not very appealing. No matter how attractive or how plain a person’s facial features may be, a great smile can make that person look beautiful to others. When you smile at other people, they will assume that you are in a good mood and that you are happy to see them. This will make other people more likely to want to spend time with you and to know you better.
Allowing our face to show emotions is actually an advantage in developing relationships. Other people are constantly trying to read and respond to our body language and facial expressions, often on a subconscious level. They are trying to sense whether we really care about them or not, whether we are concerned with what is going on in their lives.
If you are a person who is very emotionally sensitive, this sensitivity can be an asset in forming relationships. Use your sensitivity to show empathy for other people. Don’t suppress your emotions, trying to be “cool”. Don’t waste your sensitive nature being sensitive only to yourself and your own emotions. Imagine being in the shoes of the person you are talking with, and let yourself feel the sadness, happiness, excitement or pride that is present in the story they are telling you.
If we repress all our emotions from showing on our face, people will feel frustrated trying to get a sense of who we really are. When we let our emotions show up on our face, sharing in our conversation partner’s joys and sorrows, worries and frustrations, as well as their hope and excitement, both of us feel less alone. Both people will feel more connected to each other.
Sometimes we worry about our facial expressions. We may sense that our smile looks forced, or makes us look nervous. We may worry that we don’t smile enough, or that we frown too much.
One way you can check on your facial expressions is to have yourself videotaped in conversation with another person. When you review the tape, does your smile looks forced, or natural? Do you look extremely serious? Are you able to portray a feeling of fun and light-heartedness?
If you are not able to analyze the tape effectively by yourself, have someone else you trust give you some feedback.
If you think your facial expressiveness could be improved, you can practice in front of a mirror. Watch your face as you imagine yourself feeling various positive and negative emotions. Imagine yourself hearing a very funny joke. Or winning the lottery. Or receiving a nice compliment. Meeting your neighbor. Getting a present. Having a secret.
Also imagine yourself experiencing negative situations and watch your facial expressions in the mirror. Exaggerate them. Switch back to imagining positive emotions. Are you normally this expressive? Do you let other people see the real you? Or do you try to hide yourself from everyone? Do you like the person you see in the mirror?
Your smiles and other facial expressions will be more natural and more appealing when you are relaxed, rather than tense. If you get nervous when you are talking with others, you may find it helpful to practice body relaxation techniques until you can easily relax at will. Consciously tell all the muscles in your body to relax, even if you have to give instructions mentally to each part of your body, one section at a time. When you are with other people, let your mental focus be on enjoying the situation you are in, rather than imagining what others are thinking about you, or worrying what you will say next.
Let you emotions come from deep within you, and spread to your face, rather than trying to artificially manufacture facial expressions.
You are blessed.