Our last several blogs identified types of mindsets and why there are certain mindsets that help contribute to successful leadership. Now that we better understand why and what we will focus on how? How do you develop a success-oriented mindset?
Cameron Elliot, on a website for Elevate Corporate Training offered 5 useful tips in a recent blog. https://www.elevatecorporatetraining.com.au/2020/02/05/5-tips-on-developing-the-perfect-mindset-for-success-as-a-leader/
- Define Success
Lewis Carroll famously wrote in Alice in Wonderland, “If you don’t know where you’re going any road will take you there.” We have written previously about the need for goals and vision. It is critical. You must be able to define success. Is it new parishioners, a productive engaged staff, greater collections, stronger prayer lives, etc? Once you set a defined goal, your team has direction and focus.
- Take Ownership
Effective delegation as a leader is critical. What you can’t delegate is the outcome – good or bad, it’s yours to own. Ultimately, you are providing direction for the ministry teams and staff. If the team knows you will support them, take responsibility and seek to remedy any issues they are more likely to expend extra effort in supporting you as their leader.
- Project a Positive Attitude
Thomas Edison was very persistent when pursuing an idea. He was quoted as saying, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. The road to the eventual success you defined in step 1 above may be littered with many failures. If your team senses you are worried or not helping them to actively stay on task your negative attitude can derail them. You do need, as much as possible, to anticipate and prevent problems but once they happen your optimism and positivity will go a long way in guiding your team to success.
- Turn Your Thoughts into Action
Your goals should be BIG. That can be intimidating especially to your team. In order to help them better understand and accept, break things down. Break the big goal into smaller components and establish key milestones for each of those. Then, assign tasks to help you reach those milestones. These steps along the way permit the team (and you) to see progress. It is important, and as clergy we often forget, to celebrate when those milestones are reached. This encourages the team to keep pushing forward to the overall big goal.
- Praise Genuinely
Building upon point #4 above, genuine and appropriate praise tied into completion of tasks, meeting milestones and eventually reaching your goal is critical! Your praise should be specific and if appropriate, public. In one survey, positive praise from a leader was more important to 60% of the people than money. Recognizing team members and celebrating success helps to build a culture of success and support.
Development of the proper mindset is critical for effective leadership and success of your team. A parish, like any organization, develops a culture based on the actions and behavior of its leader. Hopefully, the tips above should prove useful in helping you and your teams.