The secret to successful leadership development is often pondered by young would-be executives just beginning to climb the ladder of success. The climb up the corporate ladder is intimidating, lined with both ambition and peril.

What does it take to make it all the way to the C-Suite, and how do I get there?

What most of these individuals don’t realize until much later down the road is that the secret to successful leadership development is really no secret at all.

A child first learning how to swim doesn’t just jump off of a dock and hope for the best. He carefully, deliberately practices his strokes, ducking his head under water and emerging unscathed until he can do so with confidence. Only when he is able to swim in the shallow end without fear is he ready to attempt the wonders that wait for him at the end of that dock.

The secret to successful leadership development follows precisely the same model. In order to become a successful leader you must first practice your strokes and learn to swim in the shallow end. Mastering leadership development is a series of steps that involves:

1) Learning from the people who have gone before you. There are literally thousands of books, seminars, conferences and training camps dedicated to teaching leadership development, almost all centered around the knowledge and experience of executives and former executives that have climbed the corporate ladder and are now reaching down to pull up the next generation. Take advantage of these opportunities as often as possible.

2) Don’t be afraid to question your fundamental beliefs. Many leaders step into the role with the belief that because things “have always” been done a certain way, that is the way they should be done. Progressive leadership development encourages open minded thinking and a constant quest for improvement. Thinking outside the box is the key to setting your feet on the path to success.

3) Watch. Listen. Learn. Regardless of your business, unless you’re fortunate enough to own an island off the coast of Fiji you probably spend most of your day surrounded by people. This simple fact is an invaluable resource along the course of leadership development. The next time you’re in a crowd, take the opportunity to stop and listen.

You’ll notice that there are some people who seem able to slip seamlessly through life while others constantly run into walls of opposition, a distinction that marks the high and low points of leadership development. No school in the world can teach you precisely the right tone to use when calming an angry client or convincing a supplier to see things your way. The lessons you learn in personal interaction and subtle manipulation through simply keeping your eyes and ears open in your daily activities are priceless.

The secret to successful leadership development isn’t really a secret at all. An open mind, open ears and a carefully controlled tongue are all you need to take that first step toward your future at the top of the corporate ladder.

Ray Subs is a public relations consultant for N2Growth, a company that specializes in helping businesses and their leaders grow and develop to find success in a competitive corporate environment. More information can be found at N2Growth.com.

Last week, one of my clients called me “Focahontas”, because our work together has provided him clarity and focus to his vision. However, what I find that I really do is provide simple ways for us to focus and operate in business and life.

Today’s article is one of my simple way methods that you can use to leverage your time with more effective ways to communicate as an inspirational leader.

How are YOU communicating effectively? Not just in marketing, branding and documentation, but in all ways that you use your words and the energy behind your words.

I often tell my two year old daughter how to “use her words”. I tell her to speak and express clearly. I’ll tell you the same.

As I see it, there are four levels of communication to create greater wealth in your business and life.

Level 1: Mental Chatter and Communication: When we speak negatively to ourselves or when we are randomly fretting about the future or the past. This is the worst kind of communication. The energy of the words causes negative creation. You are creating things that you don’t want and desire. You are also affecting others by not being present for them.

Level 2: Exchange Communication: When we exchange words we are speaking and sharing nonsense. Some people call it “complaining”, “chit chatting” others may call it “gossiping”. Whatever form it comes in for example in person, email or phone you will know it when you feel drained of energy.

Level 3: Value Communication: When we speak to add value we are truly connecting with others. We are presently and consciously hearing and responding to them. We are using body language and voice inflection that helps them connect with us. These people are great as team players.

Level 4: Motivational Communication: When we speak to motivate others, we become proactive with our lives and clear on how to lead others with our words. People that communicate on this level are positive, upbeat and offer positive vibrations that offer energy to others. This energy motivates others to make change. These are real leaders in our world.

Level 5: Inspired Communication: When we speak to inspire others, we become driven by the heart and passionate about how we can help others grow through inspiration. When we use inspired communication, we stop looking for ideas, thoughts and ways to be from the external world and they learn to listen within themselves. When you communicate on this level you are a leader of leaders. The words in this article are designed to inspire change from within you.

How are YOU communicating effectively? How can you communicate more effectively?

Homework:

As a success mentor, I want to leave you with a few thoughts.

1. How can you improve your level of communication?

2. How can you become more aware of your level of communication?

This is your life. How can you love the life you lead – every moment of every day?

Jen Blackert is an author, strategic business coach and master of mindset. She has spoken in front of thousands of individuals and helped them identify limits and barriers to their success. Receive wealth attraction gifts from Jen Blackert online at www.attractiondiva.com. Enjoy her Simple Law of Attraction Blog at: LOA Blog

The art of clear thinking is a learnable technique that will help you to sharpen your mind and allow you to cut through rhetoric and evaluate the reasoning (if any) behind the words.

To initiate this process, I want to show you six common fallacies, which blur accurate analysis of ideas.

Learn them and apply them every day.

Democratic fallacy

Unreliable reasoning that stems from the idea that the “majority opinion” is a source of truth and a reliable guide for action.

This is a very dodgy way to discover “Truth”

For example;

Imagine a passenger aircraft is having engine trouble.

Would it be right for the pilot to hold a vote as to whether they should attempt an emergency landing?

If not, why not?

Is the majority opinion in the office a reliable guide to intelligent action?

Can a million people be wrong?

Be careful if you are tempted to reinforce your argument with the cry “everyone else thinks so, too.”

Correlation-cause confusion

Correlation-Cause confusion is a common trap that people fall into. Just because two things occur at the same time does not necessarily mean that one caused the other.

It is a mistake to treat a correlation as a causal connection

If I put on my lucky ring, and I go out and find a ten pound note, did the ring cause it to happen?

If a new boss comes to work and the sales next month go down, what does it mean?

Getting personal

Getting personal is the mistake of dismissing an idea because of the person suggesting it.

Imagine an overweight scientist has done research to prove that exercise reduces the risk of heart disease.

You could be tempted to say, “What does he know? Look at the state of him!”

Or you could say “He should practice what he preaches” and dismiss the valuable idea.

Halo effect

Halo effect is the reverse of the above. It means that you give extra credibly to an idea because of the person.

For example Elvis Presley was asked whether he thought the Americans were right to be at war in Vietnam.

He wisely answers ” I don’t want to get into that. I am an entertainer. Ask me about my music”

I remember a radio programme asking agony-aunt Claire Raynor what she thought about the state of the criminal justice system in England and Wales.

What specialised knowledge does her opinion carry?

Separate ideas from the person proposing them and evaluated an idea as a “thing” in its own right. Determine if the idea can act as a guide to intelligent action.

Arbitrary assertion

Is an unsubstantiated statement of belief with no principle, reasoning or sensory evidence to support it.

It is a mistake to grant plausibility to an assertion simply because it is forcefully delivered or repeated.

Frequency and volume should never take the place of logic in your decision to accept an idea as true.

Napoleon once quipped “Repetition is my strongest argument” (and then lost 250,000 in his disastrous Russian campaign)

Equally, it follows that you should avoid trying to convince someone else by simply becoming louder and more passionate. Instead strive to make your reasoning inescapable.

Gamblers fallacy

Is the mistaken belief that your chances of winning increases the longer you play.

This is a false idea.

If you are doing the wrong thing it makes no difference how long you do it. It still will not work.

If your current plan has not been yielding any meaningful results, it will not change fortunes tomorrow.

* Change your ideas.

* Change the plan.

* Change the actions.

* The results must and will change.

Critical reasoning to develop clarity of thought will cause you to do three things:

You will:

* Listen more intently

* Ask more questions

* Think more before you make your decision

All of these will help you get better results

Four step formula for constructing an argument

1. Make sure that the reasons/evidence you offer are relevant to the conclusion. (Ensure your reasoning has no fallacies).

2. Is your conclusion the best based on the reasons or evidence? Ask, Is this conclusion justified.

3. If your conclusion is for some new action or policy, can the policy be carried out practically?

4. Consider the counter arguments that could weaken your position. Make sure you have accessed all relevant information.

Chris Farmer is the leader of The Corporate Coach Group, and a publichsed author in Business Coaching. His training courses through the Corporate Coach Group have helped hundreds of managers become immediatly more effective.