“Leadership is influence.”  ~ John C. Maxwell

One of the biggest challenges facing a leader is the ability to step back and influence others to get results.

The key is to get results without doing the work yourself or micromanaging your folks into becoming clones so they do the work the exact same way you would.

Why? Because we all bring our own ideas, experiences, beliefs, styles, needs, and personalities, to the table. The composite of all these different variables creates our unique way of doing things which allows us to feel that we are making a difference.

When we are making a difference, we feel that what we do matters and therefore we matter. When we matter, we derive a sense of purpose and meaning from our work, which increases engagement, motivation, and our productivity.

So how can you lead others and influence them so you can get even higher levels of productivity, without creating clones and controlling everything they do?

Acceptance…Yup that’s right…Acceptance!

Here are 10 things you need to accept as a leader if you want to start leading and influencing others more effectively.

10 Things You Need To Accept When Leading Others:

1. Accept that everyone is different, not wrong, just different.
2. Accept that there are multiple ways of accomplishing a given task.
3. Accept that most often, what you dislike in others, is typically just a dis-owned part of yourself that you don’t want to own (i.e. selfishness, arrogance, stubbornness, etc.). Use that to see yourself more clearly.
4. Accept that most people want to do a good job, they just might be unaware of how their actions are impacting others. Help them to see!
5. Accept that a small percentage of people are unconscious, unaware, and don’t want to wake up. The kindest thing you can do for them is to let them go and end the misery on both sides of the fence.
6. Accept that being a leader means you change the things you can and accept the things you can’t. Remember, the only thing you can truly change is yourself and what you think. Unfortunately, changing ourselves is typically at the bottom of most people’s To Do List.
7. Accept the fact that in order to lead you must continue to learn, grow, and develop, as a leader. If you don’t you may wake up one day and be irrelevant in your role. Author Joan Welsh says, “If you’re coasting, you’re either losing momentum, or you’re headed downhill.”
8. No one ever said being a leader would be easy. No one ever said that being a leader meant you would make the right call 100% of the time. Accept when you make the wrong call, own it, do what it takes to make it right, and then move on. It’s called humility.
9. Accept the fact that you might not be cut out to be a leader. This would mean swallowing a huge dose of humility and stepping back. That said, you can’t fake being a leader for long. Eventually, the truth always comes out and at that point it probably won’t be your call.
10. Accept that you are not the center of the universe and the people in it are not here to serve you. You are here to serve them.

Acceptance is a Big Deal

Acceptance is a big part of leading. In fact, acceptance is a big part of having a life filled with happiness. I’m not saying except the status quo and don’t attempt to make thing better.

I am saying that there are things you can change and things you can’t. Focus on the things you can, accept the things you can’t, and be sure to know the difference.

In the end, life will be much better for everyone around you…including yourself!

And that’s all I have to say about that!