6 Ways that Leaders MUST Sacrifice to Gain Influence and Positively Impact Their Team

“He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.” ~James Allen

Being a leader is about so much more than a title or role.  Leadership is the opportunity to guide others to success.  And while that sounds like a fantastic feat, influential leadership requires sacrifice.  

So why is sacrifice crucial in developing a leader’s influence?

Because when leaders decide to sacrifice in specific areas, highly productive teams and engaged corporate cultures are established.   With this in mind, there are 6 ways that leaders can exercise sacrifice that not only helps them gain influence but also positively impacts their team.

Sacrifice ego. Leaders of influence don’t focus on titles or even accolades; they are focused on impacting others.  They are open to and empowered by feedback and development and can willingly admit that they don’t have an answer for everything.  By releasing ego and leaning into growth, they ignite and inspire others in the organization. 

Sacrifice time.  As a leader, we ultimately must invest our time, at both planned and at unexpected moments, into the lives of those we lead. Growth demands that we multiply ourselves by sacrificially mentoring a few people to think as we think. There is no greater professional satisfaction than to breathe into someone else who can come along behind you to lead and effectively develop others.

Read more about the benefits of mentorship here!

Sacrifice control.  Leaders who master the art of delegation build productive and self-sufficient teams that are empowered to make decisions.  By stepping away from controlling and micromanaging, these leaders not only gain time, but they are investing trust in their teams.  This can positively impact engagement and employee retention because it grows and develops team members. 

Sacrifice perfection.  Leaders who understand that “perfection” is subjective are better support systems for their teams.  When leaders avoid buying into the myth of perfection, they can curtail burnout within the organization.  This also improves team morale and engagement, which are crucial to organizational culture.

Sacrifice pretenses.  The most influential leaders are authentic.  These leaders understand the importance of building trust within their organization, and they focus on developing and positioning others to succeed, not just themselves.  Leading is not about showing everyone how smart you are and how much they need you; leadership is about investing in and developing others to lead AND doing so, even when no-one is watching.

Sacrifice power plays.  We have already determined that ego and pretenses are not characteristics of sacrificial leadership, but neither are “power” plays.  Leaders with an impact focus more on influencing others with their empathy, respect, and authenticity versus their power or the authority of their role.  Leaders who sacrifice the power play resolve never to use their title to strong-arm their teams to get what they want.

Leadership doesn’t make you automatically “right all the time.”

Leadership requires vision, it requires a desire to serve others with selflessness, and it requires sacrifice.  Some leaders are born with the ability to lead in this way, but most of us need support and guidance not to become the “boss of people” or the “manager of tasks” instead of the leader we deeply desire to be.  But these traits and skills are not usually taught in management or business courses.

Are you practicing sacrifice as a leader?  What is your strategy for growth in this area?  

If not, schedule a call today and let us help you close the gap between where you are and where you want to be.