7 Things Unapologetic Leaders Do Differently (and why it matters)

Ever wonder what it would feel like to be unapologetic? I don't mean being a jerk or being insensitive to those around you. 

An unapologetic leader is someone who is confident in what they are doing and moving forward with purpose. In my work as an executive coach, one of the common missteps I see with leaders is that they often second guess themselves. This second guessing causes spin which then trickles down to others in the organization and can cause a lot of churn. It also can cause unnecessary stress to the leader themselves as they tend to move into more of a reactive instead of proactive mode. 

For those leaders who embrace an unapologetic mindset, you see a marked difference in their behavior. 

Below are 8 behaviors that you can shift in order to adopt this mindset:

1. Be direct in your communication - Before communicating in a group setting, think through what you want to say. Begin with your end point and then follow up with your rationale. 
2. Don't beat yourself up when something goes wrong - Unapologetic leaders know that things will go wrong and that it is most important to focus on how to handle it and what to learn from it than it is to wallow in it.
3. Don't second guess everything - While it is important to be open to different ways of thinking and adopting different strategies, it is also important to be confident in your decisions and why you chose to take the path that you did. 
4. Prioritize your tasks - Either you will plan your day or others will plan it for you. Having a proactive mindset is crucial to being an unapologetic leader. Work on what is most important first thing in the morning.
5. Set both modest and stretch goals - Unapologetic leaders know that small wins add up to big success. They also know that you need to step outside of your comfort zone and stretch in order to reach new levels.
6. Reframe internal conversations - Our inner critic can be brutal. Unapologetic leaders have awareness of their thoughts and shift them towards being productive instead of destructive.
7. Celebrate achievements - So often we'll achieve a big goal and have so many other things going on that we forget to stop and celebrate. Unapologetic leaders know the value in recognizing these achievements in ourselves and in others.

Why is it important to be unapologetic at work? 
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In my experience, when leaders shift to a unapologetic mindset, they see the below shifts:

• They become more confident in their work
• There is an absence of gloom and doom
• They take more risks
• They are more creative
• They become better at their job

​Where can you begin to adopt the above behaviors in your day to day? Could you experiment with being unapologetic in one meeting and see what it feels like? Give it a try and let me know what you find in the comments.