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As successful CEOs and entrepreneurs, we often find ourselves wondering how we can become more impactful leaders. We've achieved significant success, but we know there's more potential to unlock. Today I’m going to explore two key approaches that underpin the leadership impact of the most extraordinary world-class leaders.
The fascinating thing is that most leaders tend to focus on only one of these approaches, leaving a well of untapped potential. Read on to unveil the two levers of personal impact and the actionable insights and ways you can use them to propel your leadership to new heights.
The missing piece: Strategy with soul
In my coaching journey, I met Andrew, a financial sector CEO who, despite having a clear vision and a strategic plan, felt a lack of excitement and purpose. He had a clear well-thought-out path to what he wanted to achieve but something was missing - the convergence of strategy with passion and purpose.
In Andrew’s clear and strategic plan, he’d missed including a sense of daring and excitement - he was planning an effective strategy but he was playing small. He was playing it safe. And while this would lead to his plan being effective it wasn’t going to lead to transformational change for the company or his leadership trajectory.
Andrew's story serves as a compelling reminder that being strategic is imperative, but it's equally crucial to infuse our strategies with a sense of daring and purpose. And this is where the two levers of personal impact come into play.
1. The power of the right strategy
The power of strategy comes from learning how and where to focus your energy. This is about honing in on the 10x opportunities not trying to do everything. Often we play small, like Andrew, staying in our comfort zone, repeating the same moves and not pushing the boundaries or playing on our edge.
Strategy is about how we think and what we focus on but being more strategic doesn't necessarily mean doing more instead it's about :
Doing fewer things, but better - When we put our attention towards a few key priorities we’ll see more impact than when we try and spread our resources thinly and cover all the bases.
Defining the game you want to play - Do you want to keep repeating what you’ve already achieved or do you want to be a disrupter, take bigger risks and leverage the transformation that’s possible? And this ties into our final point…
Taking bolder actions - If your strategy feels too safe and achievable maybe it’s time to play a bolder game. Imagine what might be on the other side of that leap. Being strategic isn’t about always doing what you know it’s about reaching higher
Andrew's journey highlighted the importance of focusing on the bigger picture and not getting entangled in the minutiae. This is about expanding your vision and pursuing possibilities that go beyond what feels comfortable and familiar.
Over to you: How strategic are you being and how can you shift your attention to think about a higher-order opportunity or problem to solve, and what's one thing you can do to take a bigger leap?
2. Unlocking the magnetic leader within
Most of us know we could be more strategic, this is one of the tenets of leadership but what if I told you that the secret to 10x-ing your impact lies in your magnetism? I imagine you’ve been in the room with a magnetic leader. Someone who makes the team feel important, welcomed, excited and inspired.
Having a more charismatic and influential presence means unlocking the magnetic leader within you. It’s about infusing determination, joy, and affection into your leadership approach. To be magnetic means to lead with a sense of purpose that ignites and inspires those around you; a leader that people want to follow not just a leader with a great plan.
So what qualities does a magnetic leader have…?
Determination - Find the mission that sets you on fire! This is about reaching for a goal that’s bigger than financial security, or retirement. This is an invitation to know what you stand for. Set your sights on creating something extraordinary in the world and find the determination to make it happen.
Joy - If people see you’re having fun and enjoying what you do it lifts everyone around you. When the people in our orbit feel our enjoyment, not our stress they’re more likely to go the extra mile for us and commit to a shared vision.
Affection - This is the key to connection, often we put a barrier to our human-ness for the sake of getting things done. But if we’re failing to offer kindness and connection to ourselves or our team we’re missing the opportunity to create a caring environment. Affection and connection are magnetic!
Over to you: What would being more magnetic look like for you in your leadership, and how can you infuse more joy, affection and determination into your interactions with your team?
In Closing: Embrace the X Quadrant
As you reflect on the transformative power of strategic thinking and magnetic leadership, I invite you to consider where your leadership stands. Are you fully harnessing the potential of both levers to drive exponential impact?
I hope that you can begin to embrace that being smart and strategic is just one part of the equation. Infusing fun, inspiration, and care is also pivotal in deepening your impact. When we embrace our personalities and unleash the warmth and passion within us then we become truly magnetic leaders. The ‘X Quadrant’ is where being strategic meets being magnetic, propelling you to be a force for good at scale.
Remember, it's not just about what you achieve as a leader, but the kind of leader you become in the process.
If you'd like some support to become an exponentially impactful leader check out how we can help.
More resources for exponentially impactful leaders
If you want to go deeper check out the resources below:
- A counterintuitive fast-track to CEO success
- The Super Leader Method: How to release the power of your high potentials
- What lies beyond success?
Moreover, I’d recommend you subscribe to the Xquadrant Insider, my weekly newsletter where I share weekly tips for creating a legacy of exponential impact.
