Lead By Example

To become that go-to-expert you need to lead. The funny thing with becoming the go-to-expert is that you won't get a badge or certificate telling you that you've made it. It's just one of those things that others say about you.   What you can do though is step into the space of being a leader. That can feel a bit scary so here's a few tips to get you started:   1. Build your confidence muscles – Don’t waiver when you speak, be clear, succinct and decisive, authoritative   2. Do as I say, not as I do – There is no point saying one thing and doing another, if you say you do something follow through on it.   3. Be a good communicator - think about the message you are conveying; What is your language like? If you’re working with corporate people you don’t necessarily want to be using things like lol. I was actually challenged myself on this one by a leadership coach who said I shouldn’t be using words like fabulous and lol, but when I don’t I don’t feel as though I’m being authentic. I often make little jokes and I need people to know that they are exactly that, by adding that little lol I feel as though I can connect with my audience better. It’s semantics, but for some of your ideal clients it’s not going to be the right thing to say, so be aware of the type of clients you’re trying to attract, while still keeping your authenticity – I know – a fine balance. If you swear and you think your audience won’t be offended by that then carry on. Hands up, I do swear. I wish I didn’t, but the reality is that I do, but I don’t want that to be part of my communication so it would definitely not be part of my strategy. That doesn’t mean you can’t though, again think about your own audience. 4. Your energy needs to be positive – people don’t want to hear about your doom and gloom messages, you need to be inspiring, upbeat and motivating. Share those challenging life stories only when there is a lesson that can be passed on from them. If I kept banging on every day about having a sore back you’d soon get sick of it, the same applies to your clients too. Keep that positive energy alive. It doesn’t mean don’t share if you’re poorly or something’s happened, this is the over sharing I’m talking about here   5. In your communications be authentic – in EVERYTHING you do. If you find it difficult just keep practicing, it does get easier with time, and also makes life a lot easier as you don’t have to pretend to be something you’re not.   6. Be a professional, have high standards - Under promise, over deliver, honour your commitments,  all of these things will help you to lead by example.   7. Share, educate, answer questions. When I was on one of our group calls I was asked about PR, I could have just answered on the call as I did, but I wanted to help more and as it might be a question that comes up again I thought it would be helpful to create a PDF around it. This is where you can share what you know with others, and add value in the process.   8. Challenge yourself– Take action, walk the talk, be accountable. You will never be perfect, there may even be things you teach that you need to work on yourself, like me with my perfectionist traits, but keep being the best version of you that you can be   9. Be decisive – Leaders need to be clear and decisive. Even if that decisiveness means going back to your best friend, mastermind group etc. to help you make a quick decision –you need to behave in a way that shows you as a leader, not a follower. That confidence will set you apart, even if your knees are knocking underneath you!   So there you have it. Some simple ways to step into being a leader and being viewed as a Go-To-Expert.   What's your favourite tip for stepping into a leadership role?   PS. If you want to know what it's like to work with me 1:1, book a Crack-It Call where I'll work with you for 20-minutes to help you crack one area of your business. You'll be amazed at what we can resolve in just 20-minutes together. Find out more here.