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My mentor, John Maxwell has centered his teachings for decades on what he calls his four keys to continued success. He speaks about them, writes about them, and lives them out daily with great purpose and intentionality.

Those four keys are:

1. Relationships
2. Equipping
3. Attitude
4. Leadership

Here’s the thing: All four of these keys are in your hands, not someone else’s. Success and significance come through you, as a leader, growing in each of these areas. No one can succeed for you.

You own it.

Or you don’t.

As you prepare for the days ahead and plan strategically, don’t miss the very important aspect of personal growth. It is easy to think of ideas, projects, initiatives, and goals, and you should. But you should also consider where you need to grow.

This matters more than you think because, if leaders don’t grow with intention, neither do teams, organizations, and communities. And on a personal level, if you don’t grow as a leader, you can effectively cap the lid on your family’s potential.

You have the pattern. You must simply apply the intentionality.

The Pattern and the Application

Relationships

Do you have a system for establishing and maintaining healthy relationships?

This has been a challenge in recent decades as technology has infiltrated every facet of life. But to be a leader, you must have strong relationships.

• What is your faith relationship?
• How are you strengthening your spouse and family relationships?
• What are you doing to be a good friend to your friends on a regular and intentional basis?
• How are you growing your business and community relationships?

These days, this won’t just happen. You must regularly reach out to establish and nurture these key relationships. Find common ground. Ask questions. Learn about the interests of others. Study how you can serve others and, as John does, always seek to determine who someone knows that you should know. And, vice versa, be a connector where possible.

It may be as simple as a weekly family dinner with extended family, team meetings, or company off-sites. These things done with regularity begin to build trust, strong relationships, and a very rich life.

Equipping

This can be summed up as, “How are you learning and teaching?”

Leaders need to always be learning and growing. This helps to develop wisdom. And there must be an outpouring of what you learn to others so they can grow, too.

Charlie “Tremendous” Jones said it well, “Leaders are readers.”

Equip yourself by learning. This includes reading, listening, studying, and having conversations with others.

Attitude

The attitude of a leader is a powerful thing. It can lift the spirit of a team or defeat it soundly.

You are human. You are going to have good days and bad days. You are going to be challenged. You will experience stress and even burnout at times. You will feel the rush of anger and the pangs of loss.

But you are also a leader, so you must regularly and intentionally check your attitude. And you will need to develop ways to improve it.

This includes taking time to physically recharge your energy or to mentally discharge the negative energy.

And keep in mind that attitudes are contagious. You get to choose the type of attitude that is spread across your team.

Leadership

Leaders may be forged by circumstances, but they are built from within.

You won’t become a leader by professing yourself to be one. You become a leader by intentional values and focused action.

• Determine your values.
• Surround yourself with strong leaders.
• Learn to make decisions.
• Take calculated risks.
• Improve your communication skills.
• Focus on priorities.

Leadership is an exercise, and it gets stronger the more you hone-in on values and focused action.

Action Steps

1. Post the four key areas in a place where you will see them regularly.
2. Evaluate each of these four key areas: Relationships, Equipping, Attitude, and Leadership.
3. What areas are strong?
4. What areas need attention?
5. How can you improve those areas?

For valuable resources on Leadership Strengths and Tools, click here.

Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after executive coach, mentor, consultant, and speaker worldwide. Deb is well versed in business operations and in the importance of asking key questions most business leaders won’t ask themselves. She brings deep experience in leadership development, strategy, high performance team building and effective communication. She has a passion for leading people to discover and maximize their strengths as well as those of fellow team members, while offering advanced strategies to achieve high performance. Deb is the perfect fit if you’re ready to take your leadership and impact to the next level!