Sometimes You Need to Be

Your Own Cheerleader!!!

R. A. R. A.!!!

SOMETIMES, YOU NEED TO BE

YOUR OWN CHEERLEADER!!!! –

R.A.R.A!!!

Introduction

It has been said that success is an attitude. In any facet of life, personal or professional, you need a winning attitude. Think back to high school and college days. In order for our favorite sports teams to have the winning attitude to do their best on the playing field, what needed to happen? Of course, we needed to have cheerleaders cheering them on to victory. The simple cheers were very effective in bolstering that winning attitude that allowed our teams to know victory.

So, I need to ask you, do you have that winning attitude? Sometimes, you need to be your own cheerleader.

Do you have R.A.R.A? -- Well, do you?

No R.A.R.A -- No Success -- in any facet of life.

By now, you’re probably asking, “What is R.A.R.A?”

R.A.R.A. is an acronym comprised of the first letters of the four key components of personal and professional leadership: Responsibility, Authority, Resources, and Accountability.

Let’s take a look at how R.A.R.A. can be applied.

Responsibility

The first key component in being a true leader is Responsibility. To be a

successful leader, you need to define your responsibilities. No matter what phase of your life you are exploring, it is important to define responsibilities clearly, in order to successfully accomplish these responsibilities. Knowing your

responsibilities will allow you to keep track of the tasks involved with each. for example, as a mid – level manager of a business, your responsibilities may include the training and supervision of staff, various reports to upper – management, the scheduling of the workforce, appointing teams of staff to handle various projects, etc.

Now that we’ve talked about Responsibility, let’s move on to the next step along the Path To Success.

Authority

The second key component in being a true leader is Authority. Knowing who or what authorizes you to do something, and why you are authorized to do it, will allow you to successfully complete a given task. If we revisit your role as a mid – level manager, asking yourself who or what has authorized you gives you the

authority to perform the responsibilities associated with your position. Who or what gives you the authority to train and supervise members of your staff? Obviously, upper management has authorized you to do this, but why? Perhaps, your special expertise in the topics to be trained has given you the authorization to fulfill this responsibility. Maybe you have worked for the company for a length of time that has enabled you to assume this authority, as well as authority for scheduling of the workforce and team development.

So far, we’ve defined our Responsibilities and realized our Authority on our journey along the Path To Power™. We have come halfway along the path. Let’s continue to explore this Path To Power™, this Path To Success.

Resources

The third key component in being a true leader is Resources. When we think about the resources necessary to be successful in any given task, we must consider our knowledge, skill, experience, time, and money. Revisiting your role as a mid – level manager once again, consider each of these to be successful. Do you have enough of each to accomplish a task? If so, great! If not, consider how you can acquire the needed resource.

Once you’ve taken stock of your Resources, it’s time to continue along the Path.

Accountability

The fourth and final key component in being a true leader is Accountability. Being accountable allows us to succeed by keeping us on track to accomplish whatever task is at hand. Many people are not adept at holding themselves accountable. They need outside help. Thinking as a mid – level manager, ask yourself if you

have the capability to hold yourself accountable in all situations. If not, on whom or on what can you depend to hold you accountable? Your staff? Perhaps. Upper

– management? Quite probably! Internal and/or external clients? Of course!

Being held accountable will keep you traveling along the Path to Success. It will allow you to successfully accomplish everything you have set out to accomplish. Many top executives realize that they don’t always have the capability to hold themselves accountable in all responsibilities. They have learned to ask for help in remaining accountable. Many of these top execs have taken to forming “accountability clubs”.

Conclusion

So now we’ve explored the four key components of personal and professional leadership: Responsibility, Authority, Resources, and Accountability. Keeping in mind the acronym we used earlier, R.A.R.A. equals Success! Success is an attitude; R.A.R.A provides that attitude. A colleague of mine once said that R.A.R.A. sounds like a cheer. So, I’ll leave you with one last thought:

For success in any phase in life:

Sometimes, you need to be your own cheerleader!!!!

R.A.R.A.!!!!!