As an up and coming leader, you’re probably well aware of how important it is to seek constant improvement so that you can increase your performance. As a leader, you really are under constant pressure to always perform at the highest levels and stand out by being the best. This pressure comes from peers, colleagues higher up the corporate ladder, and even from your own personal ambition, but regardless of the source, you’re under constant obligation to perform. It can be tough to deal with all that and perform at your highest level. What can you do to change that?
The Pressure to Perform
Sometimes, the most difficult thing about improving your performance isn’t coping with the constant pressure; it’s simply figuring out how to get started. How do you decide what to change first so that you can improve?
Figuring out what you should change can be especially difficult if you are new to leadership. After all, how are you supposed to know which leadership skill is the most important for you to develop first if you’ve not led others before?
The pressure doesn’t end with making this first choice, because once you figure out which area you want to work on, you then need to determine what actions you need to take to get the ball rolling. Once you do decide on a course of action, and set some goals to measure your progress, it’s still difficult to know if you’ve made the right decision. The need to make all of these options simply increases the pressure.
Pressure and Indecisiveness Leads to Reduced Performance
As the pressure increases, making a decision becomes an impossible task. Many leaders want to improve their leadership skills, but without someone to guide them along the way, they fall into the trap of putting off making a choice at all. Because they are filled with self-doubt and fear, and worry that they will make a mistake, their indecision reduces their effectiveness and results in an outcome far worse than any decision that they could have made.
If you are unsure of what steps you should take to get started to improve your performance, the answer is much simpler than you expect and lies here – just make one small change right now.
Improving Your Performance Begins With Small Changes
Have you ever noticed that sometimes if you change one thing, there is a ripple effect? One small change is actually the start of many small changes. Don’t be paralysed by everything that you’ve read or heard about how to become a perfect leader. Resolve to make just one small change today and you can be on your way.
Regardless of where you are in your career, one of the best small changes that you can make to reduce the pressure you face and improve your performance is to choose leadership coaching. A leadership coach acts as your mentor and reduces the stress by guiding you as you make choices and take action. They also increase your confidence by acting as a sounding board for your ideas so that you no longer have to worry if you are on the right track. A good leadership coach will also help you to learn how to harness the power of your natural strengths and abilities as well as help you to zero in on the areas you should work on improving first so that you can fully develop your leadership style and realise your full leadership potential.
If you want to get started improving your leadership skills, get in touch with us today and ask how our 6 and 12 month coaching programs can help reduce the pressure and boost your performance today!
