Accept the Call of Exceptional Leadership :

Successful leaders get things done. Their businesses are successful. They deliver. They make a profit. And these leaders do this in spite of all the troubles that plague them. Many managers are successful in this way, but the call to exceptional leadership can take them to a higher level of achievement. The first difference with exceptional leaders is that they have a very personal, passionate mission that goes beyond those simple (and, yes, important) results. Thus, their measures of success also have a much higher bar.

Exceptional leaders also measure the positive difference for their customers, track the attrition rates of top talent, measure whether constructive conflict occurs much more often than destructive conflict, watch the trend lines of unacceptable behaviors or results and watch their protégés excel. Accepting the call to exceptional leadership does come with new challenges and new responsibilities.

Here are five things to do to help meet the challenges:

1. Be fearless. When you start saying “no” to things you used to say “yes” to, the reactions can vary and even include anger. Nonetheless, saying “no” will often be the right choice. Be fearless and confident in your choice.

2. Build your own community of exceptional leaders. Leaders who choose this path notice that there are not many people who have chosen this path, but they can immediately identify the leaders who have. Talk to them, work with them and learn from them.

3. Stop whining. That is obvious and still worth saying. It is fine to take the occasional whine break, but make it short.

4. Learn to love the challenge of transforming the troublesome to the tremendous.This is the opposite of the whining that perhaps you used to do! When you have a difficult employee who is challenging you, learn to relish this as an opportunity to grow others and yourself in the process.

5. Know that learning will have setbacks. Taking on brand new learning opens up pathways in your mind and is very exciting. There will be moments, though, where it is a more difficult path than the familiar one. Take your time and learn the new road. It is worth the effort.

Great Resource:

Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas and Other Difficult People

by  Alan Willett.