10 Powerful Beliefs to Make you a More Successful Leader

This piece was originally published on The Leaderpath. Caterina Kostoula runs executive coaching, online courses, and books to grow your clarity and leadership.

One of the best things you can do to feel more in control is to work on your mindset. To help with that, I share here ten powerful beliefs that will help you be more impactful and fulfilled.

1. You can ask for help

There is one thing that yields power to humans more than anything else: Collaboration.

On a one-to-one basis, many animals are more powerful than us. Humans dominated the planet because they could collaborate in large numbers. Yet, with managing our work and life, we try to do too much on our own.

Rather than asking yourself how you can do something, you are better off asking who can help you do it.

Find good people and delegate more. Find mentors, advisors, and peers and bounce ideas. As an African proverb says: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

2. Being yourself attracts the right people

 We grew up trying to fit in. We craved the approval of our parents, teachers, and the cool kids. You may still be reluctant to be yourself at work for fear of alienating others or losing your credibility.

As long as your opinions and quirks are not disrespectful, share more of yourself with your colleagues. You will build stronger relationships and more passionate fans. You will also attract the right employers, clients, employees, and partners.

3. You will figure it out

We are more resourceful than we think. Something may seem impossible now because you do not see yet all the ideas and opportunities that will come your way once you start moving. You have figured out so many things in the past.

Trust yourself that you will continue doing so. Remember what Nelson Mandela said: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

4. There is enough for everybody

There is no need to compare yourself with others or compete. There is enough joy, money, achievement for everyone. Other people’s success does not steal from you, there is plenty of it to go around.

Focus on creating your path and trust that it is the right one for you, even though it looks different from other people’s. Focus on serving and creating. Collaborate instead of competing. The more you become the spotlight, shining the light on other people and ideas, the more you shine yourself.

5. You do not need to be perfect

Perfection does not exist in nature. By hiding behind perfectionism, we soothe our fear of failure and rejection. While high standards and quality are good things to go after, perfection is not.

The best path to quality is quantity, as an experiment by a ceramics’ teacher showed. He divided his students into two groups. He asked the first to aim for quantity and the second for quality.

The group that produced many pots made a better pot than the group that only tried to create one great pot. Often, we are a terrible judge of our work, and only by sharing it, we can get feedback. By allowing yourself to aim for good enough rather than perfect, you end up having more impact.

6. The world needs what you have to offer

You may feel that everything has been said and done before. But not by you and not in your way. Nobody has the same life experiences or the same perspective as you.

Nobody looks and sounds like you. There is someone in the world that will only get the message if they hear it from you. There is someone in the world that will only buy the product if you make it. There are problems that only you can solve. Not thinking big enough when it comes to your work can be selfish. Get out there and share your creations with the world. We need them.

7. You do not have to always rush

Most of us run impatiently to the next milestone. While we are speeding towards an ever-moving goal, life can slip through our fingers. We miss the moment by living in the future. Constant impossible deadlines exhaust your people and yourself. Great work is a marathon, not a sprint. Great life materialises when you live in the now. Next time you feel the need to rush towards the future, consider slowing down. Life is not a journey from A to B. It is more like a dance. Playful and fun. Rushing through a dance defeats its point.

8. People are doing the best they can

When we have a decision to make, we may get stuck because we believe that there is one right option. That is rarely the case. You could be doing seven different jobs and have equal success and happiness. Your business could go in several directions and still do well. Knowing that there can be many right paths can help ease the pressure of your toughest decisions.

9. There are many right paths

We often get angry at people, even our loved ones, because they disappoint us. Believing that people are doing the best they can, will lighten you from a lot of stress. You do not have to stay with people who are toxic to you or bad for your business. But, if you think of their circumstances, resources, and background, you will see why they do what they do. And you can either collaborate better with them or let them go without hard feelings. Socrates said that “nobody is willingly evil.”

10. Everything is your teacher

Your tough experiences gift you with your life’s most important lessons. Every person you meet can teach you something new. You can have your deepest insights when you observe nature. By seeking to learn from everything and everyone, you will never be bored again and you will open a never-ending tap of wisdom.

What did you think of the above beliefs? Which ones would you add?

This piece was originally published on The Leaderpath. Caterina Kostoula runs executive coaching, online courses, and books to grow your clarity and leadership.