What Sets Leaders Apart - 6 Ways to Differentiate

If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve already got.

Routine becomes easy. It is just what we do. The above quote is one of my favorites to refer back to when I am thinking about situations that I know need to have new outcomes. It is different to get out of the daily routine. It may be the policy, a store standard, or just the way someone came up with doing something years ago that seems to work. Creating change is a big task and few people look to generate that turmoil willingly or frequently.As the quote alludes to: without change, everything will remain the same. Rarely does that translate into growth and continued success. No one stands still and improves in anything they do. Eventually, everyone catches up and passes by. Change is necessary and constant. It is how you go about that change that can have the greatest impact on the results you ultimately deliver.Here are six things that you can do as a leader to not only create change but develop yourself and your team to new heights.

1. Think Different

Thinking different is more than innovation. It is more than using the cliche - ‘think outside the box.’ When I discuss ‘think different’, I am referring to looking at a subject from multiple perspectives. Remove yourself from your current routines and processes and begin to look through a fresh lens. This is as much a mindset shift as anything else. It is not easy to do, and likely will require feedback and input from others to gain different points of view. From those additional sources, work on reframing the situation you face in a new light.As you get better at this practice, it will begin to shift how you look at many varying situations. It can refine how you approach new situations, as well as routines that have become, well, routine.

2. See Different

How often do you change your physical perspective on your workspace? As a Store Manager or even a District Manager, your view on a day to day basis likely the same. You walk your selling floor or other areas as you normally would. When was the last time you changed that angle? How about getting atop a ladder and watching from that vantage point for a period of time.I recall visiting several stores over my career that had a second level, most with a window or balcony area that allowed you to watch what was happening across the entire store at once. It was such a different look at what was going on. You could quickly see where your team members were, what they were doing, and how they engaged with customers or peers. It was a great way to quickly get an understanding of how things happened in the space. This is not something that needs to be done all the time, but getting new sightlines to allow you to see differently can lead to new observations and coaching opportunities to help everyone get better.

3. Feel Different

How we feel in our day to day situations can be an early indicator of when a change needs to occur. We can all begin to sense that something is stale or less productive than it should be. We know that a change is necessary. Allowing yourself to understand your feelings can be the catalyst for personal or team change. I have always said that the one thing that each of us owns the most and has absolute control over is our attitude. Our attitude is the collection of those feelings about our work, our environment, what is happening around us. Embrace those feelings, listen to them, then use them to generate ideas for change.

4. Talk Different

Words matter. I hear that a lot. And it is true. How you speak and address your team, peers, supervisors, and especially customers will make a difference in how they respond and react to you. What you say is not always what others hear. Finding the right connections through the words you use can shift the trajectory you and your team are on. If you are looking to make a change, not only do your actions need to change, but the words you use to describe those changes must as well. People will notice adjustments in language, it may be the first, best way to indicate that a change is necessary or already underway.

5. Do Different

If your words change, so much your actions. What you do as a leader will make the biggest difference of all. When you are on the sales floor, working with customers or other team members, everyone will be watching your actions closely. Are you demonstrating the changes you talked about? If you want others to do thing differently, you must be the one that leads the way.I would encourage you to combine the ideas from ‘think different’ to the ideas of ‘do different.’ Look for ways that will allow you to take completely different approaches to how you are doing things around your store or work environment. Take different paths, try new ideas and share the before and after outcomes. Work with different people to gain fresh perspectives on how they are doing things. Visiting other stores and watching how they do some of the same (or similar) things you do can get an excellent way to find inspiration for how you might do different.

6. Be Different

This one sounds a little scary since it implies being a different person. In some ways, that is the desired outcome. You want to be able to change your mindset, you want to have new sightlines on your everyday business. Those lead to how you may feel different about your business, results, or even team. You change up how you speak and the behaviors you model - all of that is being different.In school, standing out and being different was absolutely something to be avoided. No one wanted to be the outcast. But in today’s ever-changing, fast-paced world, the ones who stand out, challenge their status quo, listen to new ideas, and bravely make adjustments are the ones that change the world.What can you do to step out and create something new, something different?Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive FREE leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills all at no cost. JOIN NOW!No spam ever - just leadership goodness.Photo by Linus Nylund on Unsplash