Leadership Essentials Revisited

Bonus episode # 87: Where are your 2025 goals right now? If you've stalled or need to recalibrate, you're not alone. Sometimes life shifts dramatically after we set our annual targets, requiring us to adjust without abandoning our aspirations. Remember—adjusting your plan isn't quitting; it's strategic adaptation that keeps you moving forward while acknowledging your current reality.

Leadership excellence forms the heart of this episode, with a deep dive into five critical focus areas that transform good managers into exceptional leaders. Starting with setting the right example, we explore how performing the same work as your team while treating everyone with dignity creates the foundation for leadership credibility. Holding people accountable—perhaps the greatest service you can provide—helps develop future leaders while clearing pathways for team excellence by identifying and removing obstacles that prevent optimal performance. Strategic thinking, the ability to anticipate future developments and prepare accordingly, separates visionary leaders from reactive managers. We also tackle the sometimes challenging reality that your boss's priorities must become your priorities, using tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to balance urgent tasks with important initiatives.

The episode culminates with perhaps the most significant leadership responsibility: elevating others through thoughtful development opportunities. While some team members prefer routine responsibilities, high-potential individuals thrive when challenged with projects that stretch their capabilities without causing burnout. Throughout these leadership principles runs the common thread of self-care—proper sleep, nutrition, exercise, and downtime aren't luxuries but necessities that enable sustained leadership excellence. Technical expertise might be expected, but the true measure of leadership lies in your ability to elevate team performance to unprecedented levels. Ready to transform your leadership approach? Visit financeleaderacademy.com for additional resources to continue your development journey.

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4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii

For more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com.

Transcript

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Goal Check-in for 2025

Stephen McLain 0:00

Hi , this is Stephen McLain of the Finance Leader Podcast . This is bonus episode number 87 . Now let's do another goal check-in . Where are you at with your goals for 2025 ? Are you still getting them done or have you stalled ? It may be time to review your goals for this year to check where you are . Also , it may also be time to review everything going on in your life . You may have big life changes in the works since the new year started , so you may have to adjust your plan . It's okay to adjust a plan . It's okay to do something different . Just don't quit . Adjust your plan to fit what is happening now and ensure your life is filled with the activities that make it interesting . Make your daily life as fun and exciting as possible . Enjoy yourself . Time keeps ticking . Don't waste one moment . Try to have fun in everything that you do

Commitment to Effective Leadership

Stephen McLain 0:54

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Stephen McLain 0:54

Now on to another great topic that I love , and that's leadership . If you know me , you know that I love leaders who commit themselves to the organization and especially to their team members . Leaders are those who work to elevate those around them . The real leaders commit and invest their time and effort to making what they can control better , better than what they found it , always striving for improvement . It is essential as a leader to self-examine yourself and to commit to investing in yourself so you become better . You must place self-care as a daily priority . If you are not caring for yourself with the basics proper sleep , nutrition , exercise , hydrating , taking some time off and much more then you will be able to lead with enthusiasm and more strength . And you will be able to lead with enthusiasm and more strength . Now commit to greater leadership with these five focus areas today .

Setting the Right Example

Stephen McLain 1:49

Number one set the right example . The best leaders lead the way by willing to perform the same work as their team and in the same conditions . Lead with integrity . Always Treat everyone with dignity and respect . You will never be wrong if you treat people the way you want to be treated . This doesn't mean you don't hold people accountable because you do . Holding people accountable is maybe the greatest service you can do for them , because it helps them to succeed even more . It will help them elevate their own performance . Accountability means you are shaping them up to be a better future leader and high performer .

Stephen McLain 2:28

Number two clear the pathway for

Clearing Pathways for Excellence

Stephen McLain 2:30

excellence . Leaders set priorities and eliminate as many obstacles as possible for their team . Do your team members have to work late consistently . Then there is a problem with workload priorities and time management . Find out why and then take action . Do your team members need additional training ? Then schedule it . Find the resources to help them do their jobs even better . What is stopping them from achieving excellence ? Sometimes it's an individual problem , so that requires coaching , but sometimes it's a system issue or an organizational bottleneck . So problem solve to find a solution .

Strategic Thinking for Leaders

Stephen McLain 3:08

Number three think strategically . I always say that the great leaders need to see the future . You need to think several steps ahead of where you are right now . What is happening that will affect the organization in the future ? What are the relevant trends ? Sharpen your ability to anticipate actions . Look into the future . What moves do you need to make today to prepare your team and organization for what will happen next ? Think and act strategically in everything you do . Start to think bigger . Start to see how the entire organization works together to achieve common goals .

Stephen McLain 3:44

Number four commit to your boss's priorities

Committing to Boss's Priorities

Stephen McLain 3:47

. Your boss's priorities must always become your priorities . This is sometimes a hard concept for some to consider . We all have a boss . We all have to work on organizational goals in addition to what we want our team to accomplish . I use the Eisenhower Matrix to help solve urgency and importance for task and project execution . Never forget what your own supervisor considers important . And finally , number five , elevate

Elevating Others on Your Team

Stephen McLain 4:17

others .

Stephen McLain 4:17

Our greatest responsibility as leaders is to prepare and find developmental opportunities for our team . We must dedicate ourselves to making our team better . I always recommend that you focus your effort on the ones you want to grow and develop . You will always have team members who only want to do their jobs and punch the clock every day , but also ensure you don't overburden your top performers , so be selective to make sure they get the best future potential developing projects . Leadership is always about improving and pushing for excellence , while also taking care of your team and don't forget about your own self-care . Leadership is the most overlooked skill to develop , but is the most important , in my opinion

Closing Thoughts

Stephen McLain 5:02

. I expect you to be technical experts , but can you take a team to a higher level of performance ? Thank you again for listening . Please visit financeleaderacademycom to find more resources . Thank you .