At work, you will be valued and remembered by what you do for the company. Fulfilling your roles and responsibilities is what keeps you in place - aside from these day to day requirements, you will also be judged by other indicators of success. Did you contribute to the success of new initiatives? Did the projects you led result in additional revenue?
These kind of questions go into the more tangible successes you can create at work. The intangible successes you create are equally important though. Helping others grow, giving the support to overcome challenges, contributing to your followers well-being and development - these are all ways in which you can promote success for your company.
At the end of the day, your leadership is defined by the differences you make, both to the company and to the people around you. Making a difference by really adding value to the lives of your followers is what makes you a good and memorable leader.
Dr. Peter Cheng once cited: “The greatest testimony to your legacy will often be the people whose lives you have affected in a positive way. At the end of the day, making a difference is about leaving behind a positive impact and impression.”
Making a Difference
To make a difference in other people’s lives doesn’t mean that you should try your hardest to confirm to all the expectations set upon you. When we behave in ways that are aligned to the social norms, but are not an expression of what we truly are, we become an unreal version of ourselves. That doesn’t set us apart or enable us to make a difference. Impacting other people’s lives requires us to actually be “different”.
"Be yourself, everyone else is taken.” - Oscar Wilde
When we allow ourselves to truly be who we are, even at work, we become credible leaders, worthy of trust.
Being a credible person
Credibility is made up of two components: Integrity and authenticity.
We can show integrity by being honest and sincere in all our interactions and showing strong moral principles that are not shaken when confronted with difficult circumstances. Being authentic requires us to be genuine, expressing our thoughts and feelings as they are, while showing maturity all along.
On top of this, credibility is about remaining true to our convictions, living them out consistently, despite of changing circumstances.
How can we start being true to ourselves?
Being the real version of ourselves requires us to know who we are. This may seem like a given - I mean, we have known ourselves for as many years as we have been living on this planet. Who wouldn’t know themselves, you may think?
Well, surprisingly, most of us live our lives without really thinking about what makes us the person we are. Our character is made up of our values, moral principles and ethical principles alike (Dr. Peter Cheng, Real Leaders). The clearer we are about the values that lie within us, the easier it gets to live by our ethical and moral principles.
At the end of the day, knowing our values will help guide us in taking the right decisions and actions based on what we feel is important. It lets us live a life that is real, and not based upon what others expect of us or what we think they expect us to confirm to.
Clarifying our Values
What are the values that define who you are and that you embrace and are committed to no matter what? Follow the next three steps to gain clarity on the values that make you you.
1. From the list of words below, chose the top 10 that are important to you.
2. Sort your top ten values into the three lists: “Very Important”, “Quite Important”, “Not so Important”
3. Look at your “Very Important” list and select no more than 5 of these values. Then define what these mean to you in your everyday life.
Through this activity, you will now be clearer about the convictions you hold and hence what defines you as a person. These values are what set you apart from others and living by them enables you stand strong to your convictions and principles.
At this point, ask yourself the following questions:
- What do I want people to remember me by?
- How do I want to live out my core values in everyday life?
- What difference do I want to make in other people’s lives?
- How can I bring out the best in my followers?
- What support do my employees need to be able to grow professionally and as a person?
- …
To make a difference in other people’s lives, you need to reveal your true self and embrace the real leader in you. The one that is authentic in all relationships, ready to engage, inspire and transform your people.