If we are being honest, leading anything today, let alone a business doesn’t seem like much fun.

Sure, there are benefits and extrinsic rewards that most people would gladly accept job unseen.
Still, the responsibilities are heavy, competition often fierce, and success in anything is never
guaranteed.
 
All this means is that now more than ever, what’s required to succeed as a leader is “Bold
Leadership.”

What is Bold Leadership, you ask?

Leadership researchers and authors Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman break it down quite well. Here’s
what they believe makes a bold leader:

·      They challenge standard approaches

·      They create an environment of continuous improvement
·      They do everything possible to achieve goals
·      They get others on their team to go beyond what they thought possible
·      They energize others to take on more challenging goals
·      They quickly recognize situations where change is needed
·      They have the courage to make the needed changes

Run through this list once or twice more, and you will see a clear pattern emerge, an imprint of
what bold leaders do to be successful.

I can reduce it to two factors; 1) bold leaders are never satisfied, working continually to grow,
learn, and improve, and 2) bold leaders fear nothing, including making change happen swiftly
and dramatically when necessary.

And they do it all by demonstrating a superior level of influence with the people they serve.

Sam Walton, a truly bold leader, says, “Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-
esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can
accomplish.”

Bold leaders also carry with them an execution-focused mindset.

@Jessica Thiefels, mental wellness advocate, author, and podcast host describes this unique
focus: "The bottom line is this: Employees should regulate themselves to meet the demands of
their positions. Teams should communicate regularly and consistently. Meetings should be
productive, not wasteful. And you should orient everyone, not toward the abstract finish line, but
first toward the concrete steps that are needed to arrive there. Use these ideas to take the first
steps toward an execution-focused mindset, both for you and your employees.”

Bold leaders don't mess around. They know what it takes to succeed and to execute at the
needed levels.
In your leadership journey, are you up to the challenge?