The 4 Dimensions of Leadership

I want you to analyze the roles you fulfill in life personally and professionally and ask yourself

"Am I leading by credentials or character?"

What does this look like?

 Credentials mean that you are leaning on your title, position, or achievements to influence those you lead. 

Character requires us to identify a set of core values and cultivate the discipline to live and lead according to those values no matter what. 

This is easier said than done as we live in a world of "influencers" and "highlight reels" where everything is "perfect."

Remember, No One Wants a Perfect Leader

 To portray a perfect leader is to tell those you lead "You will never be good enough to get to my level"

At the end of the day, a leader's main objective is to instill hope in those they lead that they too can overcome their current situation and one day reach the top. 

You do this by leaning on your character more than your credentials. 

No One Cares How Much You Know Until They Know How Much You Care

So how do we accomplish this?

Practical Application 

In the book Developing the Leader Within You 2.0, John Maxwell talks about how successful leaders embrace the "4 Dimensions of Character."

The 4 Dimensions of Character

1. Authenticity: People often ask what is the secret sauce to getting opportunities to speak and lead at levels that I often feel unqualified for. And the truth is, there is nothing special or secret about it except that I stopped hiding behind my achievements. For a long time, I would hide my past failures, mistakes, and adversity out of shame that I would be looked at as less than. The truth was that as soon as I got over myself, only then was I able to get through to those I lead. Similar to life, leadership is full of ups and downs, not up and ups. Our ability to share the highs and lows makes us human and allows us to connect on a deeper level. 

Many people today lead from a superficial level that is transactional rather than transformational. 

Your ability to lead with authenticity will be not only pivotal but also allow you to lead with purpose. 

Get out of your head and into your heart!

2. Self Management: Before making a "To-Do" list, I want you to consider creating a "To-Be" list. Too often we find ourselves getting busy checking the box when in reality we should be creating time to connect with those we lead and those we love. It is easy to tell others what to do and hold them accountable, but the hardest person we will ever lead is ourselves. 

In a nutshell, self-management is our ability to regulate thoughts, behaviors, and emotions in a manner that allows us to serve from our highest capacity. 

What I have found is that the majority of people in leadership positions run themselves in the ground and sacrifice their own mental and physical health wearing it as a badge of honor for the grind. 

I saw this time and time again as a nurse working in the Critical Care Unit. 

You can't give what you do not have so when you are experiencing burnout, the only person that can help you is you!

3. Humility: Chances are, you didn't get to where you are because you are lazy and maybe you did. At the end of the day, life has a funny way of humbling us at certain periods of life. I have eaten my fair share of humble pie and as a result, I have been able to harness the power of humility as I continue to climb as a leader leading with character. 

Humility is not doubting your ability, it's recognizing your weakness and giving grace to others for their own. 

 4. Courage: Many of today's problems can be solved with more courageous leaders. Organizations could 10X their growth and opportunities if their leaders would muster up the courage to do things differently. Courage is doing what's right in the face of fear and uncertainty. It's the willingness to go against the norm and stand up for what you value and believe. The problem is that most leaders don't operate from their core values and instead chase validation through acceptance of going with the flow. I will tell you that when you challenge complacency and call out mediocrity, you will be judged and criticized but at least you will gain confidence by keeping your word and leading from your core values. Remember that courage comes before confidence and confidence is a necessary component to competence.