Your leadership skill is the lid on everything you accomplish

Imagine trying to build a tower with blocks but only having a small base to work from. No matter how tall you stack the pieces, the structure will topple if its base is weak. Leadership ability works the same way: it’s the lid on your entire potential. When Sarah became team lead, she discovered her communication lid was only a five. She could juggle tasks but struggled to rally her people. Every time she tried to pitch a big project, her team hesitated. She realized her own skill was the barrier.

Determined to raise her base, Sarah asked three colleagues for honest feedback and devoted ten minutes each morning to study and practice public speaking. Within weeks, her confidence soared. She invited her team to a brainstorming session and spoke clearly and decisively, and they jumped right in with fresh ideas. Momentum built fast. Six months later, the same team that once stalled under her lead launched a major new initiative ahead of schedule.

That shift came not from better processes or bigger budgets but from Sarah lifting her own leadership lid. By focusing on one skill, practicing daily, and tracking wins, she unlocked a new level of team performance. When you improve your leadership ability, everything else can rise too.

You can start raising your leadership lid today—first, choose one skill that matters most and ask three people to rate you on it, listening carefully to their feedback. Next, spend fifteen focused minutes studying that skill—read an article or watch a short video—and immediately weave a practice moment into your day, whether at work or home. Finally, reflect on your progress tonight by noting one win and one insight for tomorrow. Keep building that base, and watch your effectiveness soar.