Three Essentials For Business Leaders

Photo by Picha

There’s a ton of advice for entrepreneurs and leaders available in the webosphere and that’s because these are two very important aspects of life and business. Sources and quality of information vary therefore, it’s imperative that you choose wisely what you decide to ingest.

There’s an old adage that I learned in my early days in the tech world, “Garbage In. Garbage Out.” What that means is, your results will reflect what you learned, so choose your source and content wisely.

Today, I want to add my voice to the debate and give you three things that I believe are high on the must-have list for business leaders. As you may know by now, I like to switch it up and take an original perspective on things.

Not that my suggestions are better, or the others are worse, far from it. I simply like to utilize my penchant for independent thought. I believe it’s the highest compliment to my Creator to tap into His wisdom instead of simply regurgitating what others have done or are doing.

I’ve published a plethora of tips and tools in this space that I believe would be beneficial to entrepreneurs and leaders regardless of what stage of development you are in. The three things that I’m discussing today will see you through from idea to legacy. It’s debatable that you will achieve more than mediocre levels of success without them.

1. Character

“Talent will get you into the room, but character will get you in the room and cement your seat at the table.”

That's my spin on an old saying. [A good] Character is so important that it is deemed as a foundational requirement of trust, and trust is essential for all meaningful relationships. You should never consider following someone with dubious moral or ethical values.

Character is the strength of your moral and ethical identity. As Abraham Lincoln said, “Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”

The first thing you need to develop on a personal or professional level is your character. Start by identifying the areas that you struggle with first, then take the necessary steps to change them. Your evolution is an ongoing process but you must start somewhere. Start today. Start now. How can we help?

Photo by Alexander Suhorukov

2. Mentorship

The highest form of leadership is mentorship. The purpose of mentorship is to replicate success in the one being mentored. That said, you should choose a mentor who has experienced demonstrable success in the area where you’re seeking mentorship. That success can manifest in different ways, not only financially.

The important thing is to ask the right questions so that you’re getting the right answers.

Here are some things to look for in a potential mentor:

• Extensive experience in a relevant field

• Similar educational background and values

• Has overcome similar challenges

• Friendly and genuine personality

• Credible and trustworthy character

• Must be an empowerer, not a controller

• Has flexible mentoring styles

• Comfortable learning from the mentee

Check out our signature EOF Mentorship Program to see if it's the right solution for you. Hey! Why not start with our upcoming Maximize Your Genius Masterclass as an introduction.

3. Strategic Relationships

My spiritual mentor always says this to us, “Your life will resemble those with whom you assemble.” Words cannot express how much I appreciate her because she has taught me so much about spiritual entrepreneurship over the years that has pushed me forward faster and farther than if I were doing this on my own. Then through her, I came in contact with my business mentor, who has also helped me identify and eliminate the clogs that were causing my businesses to grind to a halt.

When I get stuck in creating a stage or screenplay, I call on my creative friends to help me brainstorm new ideas. I also leverage advice from a financial advisor and other leaders who are farther ahead of me. Each relationship is carefully chosen for purposeful connection so that it won’t become a distraction or a detriment to my vision. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, choose your relationships wisely. The only reason I keep harping on this topic so much is because I know the damage that wrong relationships can cause.

Having the right support system around you will quantum leap you to levels you never imagined. One way to tell if you are levelling up is when new relationships start showing up in your life. Pay attention and be discerning. Just because they show up, doesn’t mean they are right for you. Draw on your values and prayer to help you make the decision. A God friend is always better than a good friend.

I talk about how I leveraged Strategic Relationships to move forward in my corporate career in this YouTube video.