The New Year is here and that means it is time for leaders to cross over to a new beginning with a hop in their step. The evaluation of the good, the bad and the ugly of the past year is now behind us and the worst thing we can do is keep our feet stuck in “what was”. Shake it off and look straight ahead to 2018. Even if we had our best year ever we need to look at the New Year with fresh eyes and scope.

Are you ready to propel forward?

Six kick-ass leadership moves for 2018:

 1. CREATE YOUR NEW YEAR VISION

Our first kick-ass leadership move has to be defining our purpose and direction. Make sure to write out your vision in depth and maybe even include visuals. Here are some questions that might help you mold your leadership vision:

  • What path makes the most sense to me now?
  • Why do I want to make that choice?
  • What new trends in my industry might I want to include in my new vision?
  • How will my vision be different from last year? Does it need to be different?

Also, make sure to share your well though-out vision. According to Jack Welch, “Leaders make sure people not only see the vision, but they also live and breathe it.”

2. IRON OUT CLEAR GOALS THAT STRETCH YOU

Our next kick-ass leadership move involves establishing SMART goals that are clear, specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic and possess timeframes. It’s not good enough to just list what steps we want to take. We need to make them measurable so we will know when we arrive. We need to also make them challenging enough so that we can grow as leaders.

[Tweet “When leaders set stretch goals they challenge their routines and ultimately grow.”]

3. PICK A NEW AREA TO EXPLORE

Was there an article or book you read this past year that excited you? Is there a concept that piqued your interest and you just didn’t have the time to pursue? Your next kick-ass leadership move is to follow your fascination.

  • Read more about this new area of interest
  • Talk to someone who may already be involved in this trend
  • Sign up for a course or conference to dig deeper
  • Don’t just let it pass you by

4. ADDRESS YOUR BLIND SPOT

We all faced some struggles last year and trying to overcome our blind spots is critical for our fourth kick-ass leadership move. First acknowledge that there are specific changes we can make to strengthen our leadership then commit to tackling them. Maybe it’s about how we are communicating. Or perhaps we need to get trained in a particular technical area. Whatever it is, take action to grow your leadership skills and knowledge.

5. FIND A MENTOR AND BECOME A MENTOR

Another helpful kick-ass leadership move is reaching out for some good mentoring in helping us enrich our leadership. Before you approach that individual think about:

  • Can I trust this person with confidential information?
  • Will this individual have my best interests at heart?
  • Does this leader have the expertise I am looking for?
  • Is this person easy to talk to and willing to share?

Then it is your turn to offer to be a mentor for someone you work with or know may need your help and guidance.

[Tweet “A kick-ass leadership move for 2018 is to find a mentor and become a mentor.”]

6. BE HAPPIER

The final kick-ass leadership move for the New Year is to find what brings you happiness and make it part of your life. Many of us are missing that “happy factor” and we need it to be our strongest and kindest. This is the year to do it.

What additional kick-ass leadership moves do you have?

(Image credit: Pixabay)

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