Getting Strong for Leadership - Change a Habit, Improve a Skill

Leading people to higher levels of productivity is notthis. This really is how we learn behavior patterns.
for the weak at heart. To get strong for leadership,Hit a thousand tennis balls, swim a thousand laps,
you'll need to take a hard look at some of your workshoot a thousand free throws. Do anything the same
habits. And you'll probably need to improve some ofway over and over again, and eventually the brain
your people skills.cells involved in the activity will be stimulated to grow
Change a habit? You know how hard this is, butand connect into a hard-wired neural network. 
sometimes your effectiveness, your happiness - andThe good news:
even your life - may depend on doing so. Improve a#1 - When this happens, you can perform the new
skill? There's nothing easy about that either, especiallyhabit or skill without concentrating on doing it. You
if you already have a habitual way of doingjust do what you usually do, comfortably and
something. But your success as a leader may dependautomatically.
on changing your behavior.#2 - The behavior pattern is permanently ingrained in
So what's involved? How does this kind of learningthe brain, because the neural pathway is physically
happen?interconnected.
The first thing you need to know is that all behavior#3 - Anyone can do this. 
is triggered by thought processes, which happen inThe bad news:
the brain. Not in the skin. Not in the muscles. Not in#1 - There's no magic bullet, no quick fix. The only
the bones. In the brain. We use different words tothing that works is a lot of repetition and practice.
describe patterns of behavior, such as traits, habits,#2 - This usually equates to months of consistent
routines, skills and strengths. But in the brain, a skill orapplication. Even Tiger Woods has to hit thousands
a habit pattern is the same thing - a behavior patternof golf balls to change something in his swing.
- a sequence of perceptions, thoughts, feelings and#3 - If you learn the skill incorrectly, or if the habit
behaviors efficiently enabled by a web ofyou learn is a bad habit, you own it. 
interconnected brain cells. So unless you consciouslyThe bottom line for managers who want to be
decide to do something else, the neural network forstrong for leadership:
a specific skill or habit will automatically be engaged to#1 - The only way to correct a dysfunctional habit or
deal with the situation at hand.undesired behavior pattern is to go against the grain
Where do these neural pathways come from?of your learned behavior long enough to do enough
You aren't born with them. You grow them. Eachrepetition and reinforcement to rewire your brain.
brain cell has hundreds of tiny filaments called#2 - Instruction, reading a book or watching a video
dendrites that are stimulated to grow and connect toisn't enough to master a new way of doing
the other brain cells that are involved in thesomething. You have to follow through with a
behavior. considerable period of consistent practical application.
What stimulates the growth? Repetitions of the#3 - This means that 99% of the learning has to
behavior. Practice, practice and more practice. 2,500take place not in a classroom, but in the real world of
years ago, Aristotle said this: "Whatever we learn towork and life.
do, we learn by actually doing it: men come to beSo you can be strong for leadership. But if you want
builders, for instance, by building, and harp players byto change a habit or improve a skill, you have to do
playing the harp. In the same way, by doing justthe work. And if you follow through, what happens in
acts, we come to be just; by doing self-controlledyour brain when you master the new skill or habit will
acts, we come to be self-controlled; and by doingseem magical, even though there's no magic in it at
brave acts, we become brave." He was right aboutall.