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Your promotion to leadership isn’t the end of the line. You’ve only just begun the leadership journey. Becoming a leader qualifies you to lead others, but your skills will grow over time, making you more and more effective. Growing as a leader should always be the goal. Whether you’ve just begun or you’ve been leading for years.

The best leaders have things in common. They are generally- 

• Confident
• Considerate
• Consistent

Being confident, considerate, and consistent are not static things. They change all the time. Being confident wanes from time to time when life throws curve balls. Being kind and considerate of others can be a challenge when you’re overly stressed or worried. Consistency gets jeopardized when life is overwhelming or underwhelming. That’s why great leaders are always working on these areas of their lives.

Here are some practical ways to keep growing as a leader in the areas of confidence, consideration, and consistency.  

Confidence- Pay attention to what gets you down. We all have triggers that affect our confidence. It’s possible to be highly confident in one area of life and utterly wrecked in another. Pay attention to what gets you down at specific points in your life. Your confidence might need to be bolstered here and there, even when you’re leading. Life’s circumstances can trigger areas where you don’t feel strong. Seek to find solutions when you feel your confidence getting weak, and you’ll be able to overcome your insecurities and become a more effective leader in the process. 

Consideration- Pay attention when you feel foul. When life’s firing on all cylinders, it’s easy to be kind and considerate. People respect leaders who are fair and decent. They resist leaders who are harsh, unrealistic, and mean. Your personal life could be affecting your leadership. If you’re going through a tough time, it’s a great time to stretch and grow and learn new stress management techniques or how to “acknowledge your feelings and not live by them.” Whether you are leading your family, a community project, or a team at work, being considerate is a primary character trait of successful leadership. 

Consistency- Pay attention when you are erratic. One of the key characteristics of great leadership is dependability and consistency. That you show up the same today, tomorrow, and down the line is crucial. The surest way to breach trust with others is to be erratic. When it comes to leadership, consistency is critical. If you find that you are going through a season where you’re dropping the ball, or you are acting in unpredictable ways, it’s a great time to grow as a leader and learn how to manage yourself and get back on track.

Leadership is not a destination. Being an effective leader includes a commitment to grow. The issues you face today won’t be the same tomorrow. The people you lead on and off duty will cause you to need new skills. Keep focused on your confidence, consideration, and consistency so you can grow and maintain high-quality leadership skills.