benchmarking

Copy cats may seem good at what they are doing, but they will never find a spot at the top.

Even if we have bad feelings about our past and it causes a sense of alienation, it belongs to our history. Its benchmarks are stored in the granary of our mind and crucial evaluations for the future cannot be made without consulting the archive of our memory. ( __ot without the past_)

When you become aware of the need to practice servant leadership, to act as a faithful steward and exercise good personal governance _ the challenge is to align these three and ensure they fit in with your defined leadership vision, mission and values. If there is no congruence, then leadership effectiveness will be compromised because the likelihood of not practicing these sound principles will be very high.

If you are a person of faith like me, then learn to discern between what requires medical intervention and what requires spiritual or even psychological specialists. There are enough physicians and specialists to deal with medical conditions, allow them to play their part without disturbing their interventions by adopting untested bush-advice.

The key to success in any area of life is to first know and master the area of focus. Cures to disease have been found, since time immemorial, by studying how the body functions as well as how the disease affects the sick. Seek depth in knowledge and research.

Two key leadership excellence values worth focusing on separately are being principle-centred and being consistent. The complimentary construction of these leadership fibres can easily be misconstrued for unreasonable stubbornness, yet they form the backbone of strong, effective transformational leadership. In building the legacy advocated for, in leadership excellence brands, you must sharpen the practice of these leadership values in every area of your life.

Leadership is a privilege to serve and make a difference. Take care of what belongs to another as if it were your own. Be accountable to others or to another because you realize you are not a master. Be considerate of those you serve because they, not you, perceive the difference you are or you are not making, in their lives.

The principles that guide your decisions as a leader must not be contradictory to your personal values. Your personal values must lay the strong foundation on which you build your leadership tenets. In becoming a principle-centred leader, these leadership values become your guiding principles and lenses for decision making.

Principle-centred leadership, consistent leadership, stewardship and servant leadership are all values-driven. Always go back to reflect on your beliefs and values as you go about your leadership responsibilities.

Numerous studies have proven that physical health and longevity are linked to eating a balanced diet, maintaining proper weight, exercising regularly, abstinence and proper sexual conduct, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, maintaining a clean and hygienic living and working environment, knowing and keeping track of your health status all the time. How do you rate yourself on all these?

If you disconnect yourself from principles you believe must work for others, then you create a leadership brand that is not genuine and that will lead you to say one thing and practice another. This is the reason why knowledge and mastery issues covered at a personal level, must be revisited with a leadership focus.

When you have defined your mission, values and attitudes in the context of leadership influence and excellence, you also need to conduct a personal audit, checking how aligned they are to your current leadership practices. Where necessary, begin to make adjustments.

There is need for clarity on what your leadership role stands for and the kind of unwavering and unstoppable beliefs required. These beliefs must not be deterred by current circumstances and conditions. They must become your source of internal strength and inspiration, especially during trying times. How strong, positive and empowering is your belief system as a leader?

Exercise must become a regular part of your day or personal effectiveness system. Do not wait to start exercising because you want to lose weight or because the doctor has given you some scary update on your health. Exercise to keep fit and stay healthy. It__ not too late to start now.

Your leadership principles give that unique character to your leadership brand. When all your responses, decisions, choices and leadership practices are filtered through your well defined principles, you have automatically connected yourself to making the success of your leadership excellence brand more deliberate.

The key to leadership remains influence. What kind of a leader are you and how do you deliberately model your leadership to achieve desired impact on those you influence or you seek to influence?

Ask yourself - How do I see myself as a leader? How do I use my personal mission and vision to create leadership focus? What does my mission or vision mean in the context of leading others? How many people are going to succeed in their endeavours, through my leadership influence? Do I expect of myself, what I expect of those who follow me? Or I have my own separate standards for the same principles I expect others to live by?

Benchmark against the top performing movers and shakers in your game. What are the skills required to achieve excellence in your area of specialty as a leader? How are you managing your vision and mission? Do you demonstrate a life lived with clear goals and targets? How are you providing direction, influence and developing others to lead? What is the evidence of the good leadership of your team?