Leaders Lead 24/7: The Leadership Lifestyle

Executive SearchingHere’s a to-do list that you will NOT see on the desk of an executive with strong leadership skills:

Review audit
Complete draft CRM proposal
Meet with supply chain manager
Demonstrate leadership behavior
Update west coast team

True leadership is not a task that appears on a checklist as needed — “I want to be viewed as a leader today.” Real leadership is not a short-term stratagem — “When I’m with the west coast team I need to act like a leader.”

Think about an effective, inspiring leader you know. They simply are leaders, whether they are presiding at a board meeting or socializing at the company’s annual picnic. Leadership is a characteristic that defines who they are: a set of attitudes and behaviors that has no on/off switch.

“As executive coaches, we understand that leadership is fundamentally a lifestyle choice,” said Maren Perry, president of Arden Coaching. “We recognize that leadership is an approach to thinking, behaving, and being that you ingrain in your life and practice 24 hours a day.” For more, read Arden Coaching’s “How to Develop and Strengthen Your Leadership Style.”

Do you want to develop a more strategic perspective? Consistently demonstrate a high level of integrity and honesty? Strengthen your resilience? Communicate, inspire, and motivate those around you? These attributes, and others, are skills closely associated with leadership.

Strengthening leadership skills and establishing a leadership lifestyle is neither easy nor simple. However, they can be cultivated, practiced, and strengthened.

“Executive coaching is well-suited for building leadership,” said Perry. “Very few people can do this entirely on their own. Coaching is a partnership, structured as a one-on-one program of discovery, development, and transformation.” Perry describes executive coaching as an intentional, purposeful process of:

  • Magnifying awareness about current and possible beliefs and behaviors
  • Leveraging that awareness to build a tangible plan of action
  • Achieving desired goals with specific, measurable results

Leadership rarely comes naturally. It takes practice and experimentation. You’ll make mistakes and need to learn from them. It requires vigilance, self-awareness, and a willingness to make changes. For more, read Arden Coaching’s “Executive Coaching: Learning to be a Leader.”

“Leadership is a constant work-in-progress,” added Perry. “But with proven approaches and a commitment to advance your skills, you can become the leader you wish to be, 24/7.”

To learn more about executive coaching and developing your leadership skills, contact us at [email protected] or 646.684.3777.