Mental Toughness Can Make You Become A More Successful Agency Leader

Being the leader of a communications agency is hard work.

Implementing the leadership strategy that will drive your success takes vision, the ability to inspire your staff to join you, and courage during challenging times.

Sometimes it’s a lonely job, especially if you don’t have a deep management team on which to lean.

It takes mental toughness to take on the challenges of growing your business and servicing clients and being a decisive problem solver, while maintaining a calm demeanor.

Here are 6 rules for developing your mental toughness so that you can do just that:

Rule No. 1: Examine your beliefs. Think about the core beliefs you hold about your life, your teams, and the world around you. Aligning these beliefs with your business goals is critical.

Your past emotions, experiences, behaviors and perceptions influence your present state of mind, which in turn affects your success.

In our coaching engagements, we help you examine the beliefs, thoughts, emotions and actions which may be limiting you, and empower you to choose positive beliefs over negative ones, to shift from “I can’t” to I can!”

Have you developed beliefs that limit your potential? Are you ready to eliminate them? If so, let’s speak about how we can help you do so.

Rule No. 2: Change negative to positive. Many of us bombard ourselves with negative self-talk all day long. When we listen to those voices, we end up quitting long before we can succeed.

But you have a choice. We call it AAA:

First, be a ware that you may have the tendency to think negative thoughts. (And know that if you’re like many leaders, you’re not alone in this.)

Next, a cknowledge that negative thinking is at play, and that it won’t get you what you want.

Then, take a ction! Make the choice to replace the negative thought with a positive, productive one, that will lead you to the outcome you desire.

Rule No. 3: Use your energy wisely. Our coaching engagements are built around the Core Energy Leadership Index, which helps our clients see the different leadership energy levels they currently tap into in everyday work and life, as well as when they face stress.

We work with our clients to recognize stress, and how to quickly shift from “React” to “Respond.”

When we tap into our higher energy levels, we see nearly countless options, and can effectively access our creativity and productivity.

Rule No. 4: Analyze your progress. Whenever overwhelmed, take a moment, and a deep breath. Reflect on what you accomplished, and celebrate your achievements, small and large.

Doing so will better arm you, mentally and emotionally, to tackle the mountain in front of you.

Just like you don't develop huge physical muscles overnight, the same is true of mental muscles. Putting your mind in a positive state will indeed strengthen it over time.

Rule No. 5: Stop wishing, start doing. Do you ever find yourself thinking, "I wish I could build revenue" or "I wish I could win more clients like my competitor” or “I wish my managers would step up and really lead!”?

The key to achieving any of these wishes is to take action. And that’s one of the biggest benefits our clients report about leadership coaching: We help them to turn goals into practical action plans that they actually implement.

Sometimes it’s about taking the biggest steps. Sometimes it’s about taking the first or even a baby step. But the shift from wishing to doing has enormous power. We help our clients find that power within.

Rule No. 6: Nothing works like tenacity. You are in one of the most competitive industry sectors there is. You are constantly competing for the best clients, talent, technology and ideas. Nothing succeeds like tenacity.

We believe in the old Latin motto ‘Nulla Tenaci Invia Est Via’. To the tenacious no road is impassible.

Go conquer!

Ken Jacobs, ACC, PCC, has helped leaders in the marketing communications space manage more effectively. Can Ken help you achieve your leadership goals? He's happy to provide a complimentary session to explore how executive coaching can help you achieve and surpass your goals by becoming a more inspired and inspiring leader. Please contact him at [email protected] or 609.275.9025.