5 Ways to Show Up as a Leader
Step Up and Stand Out!
Today, I’m inviting you to take a look at how you’re showing up in your business.
Are you standing out as a leader, or are you a follower? The latter often comes from a scarcity mindset, and trying to please everyone.
When this happens, I see entrepreneurs attracting all the wrong clients, not having the business they truly want, and ultimately...becoming exhausted and burnt out.
But, when you make a decision to show up as a leader - setting yourself apart from what others are doing - you begin to take back that power. And, you begin to attract the right people, building the business you’ve always wanted!
I want to share with you five ways you can immediately show up as a leader in your business.
1. Pay Attention to Your Self-Image
Setting yourself apart as a leader begins with how you feel about yourself. How do you show up every day in your business?
Now that you are most likely working at home, are you staying in your pj's and skipping your morning shower?
"Leaders don't wear slippers"
Challenge yourself to do your virtual calls dressed well from head to toe and wearing real shoes. It helps to psychologically make you feel more confident and show up as a leader.
2. Stop Being Everything to Everyone
You MAY be able to do everything in your business, but that does not mean that you SHOULD do everything. In fact, I would strongly urge you not to be the Jack or Jill of all trades.
When you say "yes" to every opportunity, task, and idea, you are diluting your brand. You are blending in, rather than standing out. The key to showing up as a leader is to clearly define what you want to do and who you want to be working with. This also helps you to clearly define the things you say "yes" to and the things you say "no" to in your business.
3. Be Known For Something
Once you have decided that you will not be everything to everybody, it is important to get clarity around what you DO want to be known for. What do you do best in your business? What lights you up when you are doing it? When does it feels less like work and more like play? What is your Zone of Genius?
Become known for that.
We often do things simply because that is what someone has asked us to do, or because we are expected to do it.
I want to let you in on a life-changing piece of information, YOU get to decide what that is and what you want to create. That is how you become known for something.
I encourage you to start thinking about what this is for you? What do you love to do the most and how do you like to work with your clients?
This is the key to creating your brand around what you want to be known for and what you are passionate about.
4. Choose Your Niche
We have all likely done some digging about the demographics of our ideal client, but let's dive a little more into the psychographics of your target market. What challenges do they face? How would you describe them?
For example, at Lab Creative, I like to work with ambitious, growth-minded entrepreneurs, who are goal-oriented and thinking BIG. They are quick to make decisions, happy, and fun. These are the people that light me up and bring me the most joy to work with.
When you define your niche based on values that align with your own, you will find that your work is more cohesive and enjoyable.
Rather than just defining simply how much they make, what their gender is, or their approximate age, take some time to really define what the values are of your ideal clients.
As you start to write down these words that describe your dream clients, you will also begin to understand what their struggles are and more easily attract those people.
5. Create Your Own Way of Doing Things
I often refer to my Signature Process and how it can maximize your impact. There is so much power in having a process entirely your own.
It begins with being aware of what others are doing and how they are doing it, then you can do it your own way and offer it in a format that is unique to you.
A signature process is a combination of the behind-the-scenes structures in how you work with clients and what you do from a client-facing perspective. It is what you can do over and over with each client so that you can ensure that everyone who works with you has the same experience...every time!
It will increase your impact, and set you apart as a leader.
Now, I encourage you to take some time to look at these five areas and evaluate where you might need to make some changes in your own business.
When you decide to set yourself apart and forge your own path, you will attract the right clients and the right opportunities. Your clients will feel you understand them better, you will be able to speak directly to them, and you’ll be able to address their unique set of challenges.
Are you ready to stand out and lead? Book a call here to talk about working together.