When I facilitate leadership training sessions, one of my favorite activities is playing “leadership poker.” 

I give the participants a deck of 52-cards, each labeled with a different leadership trait. They work towards assembling the best hand, reflecting the most important leadership traits to them.

This always leads to deep conversations about leadership behaviors and impact.

More importantly, it gives the participants time to pause and reflect on what they value and the type of leader they aspire to become.

What cards would you assemble in your winning leadership hand? 

If you want to become an exceptional leader, I encourage you to develop a VISION for your leadership. 

Don’t just “think” about it. 

Write it down. 

Reflect on it. 

And develop a plan to live it.

Here are some exercises to help you get started:

Identify Your Inspirational Role Models

Think about the best leaders you have encountered, directly or indirectly. Ask yourself why you admire their leadership. 

• What behaviors do they exhibit? 
• How do they make you feel? 
• What impact do they have?

Learn from Ineffective Leaders

Think about some of the worst leaders you have encountered. 

• What made your experience with them so bad? 
• What can you learn from them? 
• How would you approach things differently?

Draft Your Leadership Vision

Create a vision for your leadership that includes:

• The leadership traits you would like to demonstrate consistently
• How you would like others to describe your leadership
• The impact you want to have on people and results
• The legacy you would like to leave

Close the Gaps

Review your vision and take note of the areas where you have some gaps. 

• Identify what you need to learn
• Summarize the behaviors you need to adopt
• Describe the feedback you need to receive
• Put a plan in place to work on it.

You don’t have to live with the cards you’re dealt. You can become an exceptional leader! 

Let me know how I can support your journey!

Wishing you the best!