We all know that old habits die hard, and you probably couldn’t be more thankful for some of the traits and habits that made you who you are today. They have been engrained in you since day one, and because of them, you are now a well-established practice or business leader. But the funny thing is, you’re also probably not the same person you were two, four, six or eight years ago. Some of the traits and habits that got you to this point probably aren’t doing you much good now; why? Because you’re at a better stage in your life and have a different role to play.

You’re now directing instead of following directions, and you’re happy and content with where you’re at now. But, there are new habits to adopt in order to become the best leader for your team, practice and yourself

Here are 5 habits to adopt to become better leader:

1. Quit Striving for Perfection

If you have a type A personality (which is common amongst many successful people), you probably went through a lot of meticulous habits to seek perfection. In your earlier years, any project you took on was most likely reviewed multiple times over, you never failed to meet a deadline and you probably didn’t mind spending another 15 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour on a project to ensure that it was nothing short of perfection. But you’re busier now, and you have bigger things to worry about. Fretting over the small details should no longer be a concern. You have to recognize that people are fallible, and that small mistakes will happen along the way. But nit-picking and micro-managing is unhealthy and unproductive.

2. Quit Saying Yes

When you’re determined to succeed, you will often find yourself saying “yes” to a lot of things, even if you don’t want to. But if you’ve hit a point in your career where you’re work load has become too full, and you’re no longer saying “yes” to prove your worth and establish yourself, then you need to pull back the reins and slow down. For the most part, saying “yes” is to please others; but you’re at a point where it’s time to look after your own priorities and make the right decisions. It’s ok to say “no” when you instinctually feel like it isn’t the right call. Saying “no” has its benefits – it means you’re setting boundaries and showing others that your time deserves to be respected.

3. Quit Putting Yourself Down

This little piece of advice has undoubtedly followed you since you were a child, but there’s good reason for it. Putting yourself down does you no good. You may be doubting yourself, kicking yourself over something that you failed at or you may be simply having a bad day. Whatever it may be, putting yourself in a rut and mulling over negative dialogue will not help your productivity, motivation and confidence. You’ll to lose sight of the goal and you’ll find yourself sidetracked, if not lost. When in doubt, just push forward. The best way to overcome the case of the blues is to push past it and turn the negativity into fuel to become better.

4. Quit Isolating Yourself

The most successful and happy people know that the greatest accomplishment is finding the right balance in life. If you don’t have the time to socialize and sustain healthy relationships with others, on top of grinding out the work load with focus and dedication, then your success is likely to be a lonely and unfulfilling. Human beings crave social interaction. It helps you grow as a person, problem-solve and find more value in time and people.

5. Quit Comparing

Comparing yourself to others is a natural way to gauge your success, but it’s not an accurate way. Just because you see someone with a monstrously successful business or practice, that doesn’t mean that it’s what you should have as well. Yes, we want you to reach the top, but we want you to get there by your own terms – what you want and not what someone else has. When you strive for someone else’s success, you lack the understanding of their own sacrifices, priorities and goals. You don’t know if they’re as happy as they say, you don’t know how well their relationships stand and you don’t know if they’re the leader that you want to be. All you see is their success, so you need to pinpointing your own goals, and strive for your own understanding of what success means. This is how respectable leaders are born.

If you slow down and ease up on these 5 habits, people will recognize better leadership in you. In order to be respected and lead with success, you need to show others that you value your time and theirs, and that even though you have high standards, you can recognize their hard work. Leadership is about having the right priorities in mind and supporting your team through thick and thin.

If you’re ready to take your practice to the next level, build authority, become a celebrity in your town, and build a 7figureclinic and beyond, then you need to get in touch with me. I’m currently taking on a few private clients right now. It’s been almost 12 months since I’ve open up space in my 7figureclinic growth system and it won’t be long until the few spots I have are filled up.  Complete the application here to see if you qualify.