Great leaders often make great sacrifices for the betterment of their team and organization. What kind of things do leaders sacrifice?

• The credit – Leadership means giving credit to those on the team first and foremost. A great leader gives credit and praise when things go well and takes the blame when things fall short.
• Personal time – Being a leader means being a learner. Being a learner means being a student. Being a student means spending time studying. If you’re in a leadership role but aren’t sacrificing time for learning, growing, or reflecting, your time as a leader may very well have an expiration date.
• Their need to be right – A great leader isn’t a great leader because he or she is always right. In fact, a great leader is secure enough to know they don’t have all the answers. They’re patient, good listeners, humble enough to admit when they don’t have the answer, and wise enough to seek council to find the answers from those around them.
• Comfortability – It often takes courage to be a leader: Courage to have tough conversations, break bad news to people, be brutally honest when facing the facts, speak your truth in front of others, and take risks with optimistic hopes of the best possible outcome. If you’re not willing to put yourself through some uncomfortable moments and seasons, the role of leadership may not be for you.
• Location – When it comes to taking the best career path, sometimes leaders need to sacrifice where they live to capitalize on opportunity.
• Financial security & pay – We often see leaders that take a temporary pay cut to take a role with upward mobility. When leaders do this, they bet on themselves. They know if they take the pay cut now, they could be rewarded with better financial benefits in the future as they succeed in their new role.

Always keep in mind: The higher up you go, the more you will find yourself needing to sacrifice. Embrace the pay-off, and know the reason not everyone is a great leader is because they aren’t willing to sacrifice today for a better tomorrow. But you are, and that’s why you will continue to climb the ladder of success.