Three Ideas to Grow Your Leadership Success

One of the blessings in my life has been the opportunity to be a leader in my home community of Rochester, Indiana. This would not have been possible without the legacy of leadership that preceded me and the hard-working individuals that taught me how to treat other people and look to make a positive difference in the lives of others around me. I’ve been very fortunate to have been influenced by some caring people in my life. Many different kinds of people with unique personalities and viewpoints have led me through growing up, learning about God, being educated in school and church, being coached in sports and teamwork, and tackling a career in banking. As I consider what they may have all had in common, I am realizing that they each took a real interest in me and my future. Through the communication and examples set by these dear people, I see three key ideas that I think will be helpful to anyone interested in developing as a valued leader.

The first is humility in leadership. The humble leader has an awareness of their own shortcomings or limitations and is interested in a brand of success that embraces teamwork and collaboration. They don’t feel pressure to be right or to know the answer to everything, but consistently give credit to the team around them. Fresh ideas are not threatening to a humble leader. They foster curiosity about improvement and development of solutions. Positivity generally will be found in the humble leader. What others see as problems, this leader will only recognize as opportunities. Another observable trait of humility is that it is attractive. It gathers people together and provides opportunity for strong relationships and trust.

Valuing relationships with others is the second idea of leadership that I have learned from my mentors. The relationship leaders I have known spend time asking questions and listening to the people in their life. They know that success in life is best shared with others and that developing bonds will aid in overcoming the obstacles and challenges ahead. I have learned that putting yourself out there to others allows them to be more vulnerable and open in return. This style of leader understands that caring for others before yourself is the key that unlocks the richness of community, family and team.

The third successful leadership idea I have observed is being a servant to others. This trait of leadership is a bit counter-intuitive because we often picture leaders giving commands. However, the greatest leaders have a servant’s heart. A servant leader will not ask someone to do a job that they aren’t willing to do. Their viewpoint is that a diligent work ethic, willing attitude, and tangible results will inspire others to adopt similar habits, thereby multiplying the effect into an impactful force for the greater good. Great chemistry, commitment, and trust is built through shared work and serving others. The servant leader understands this powerful gift and chooses to be influential through actions and example.

These three leadership ideas have had the most influence on my life and it pleases me that I can also pass them on to you. Leadership can seem intimidating and complicated. My experience says it is actually very simple. It requires humility, relationship building, and self-sacrifice to be a leader that other people will love to follow.  

This Month's Guest Writer

Evan Gottschalk
President
First Federal Savings Bank, Rochester