While you may have started out with the ambition of becoming an exceptional leader, it’s easy to lose sight of that type of long-term goal. Over time, you may let more immediate concerns distract you, or you may simply experience a dulling of your existing leadership skills. These practices can help you sharpen those skills as you refocus your efforts to improve your leadership style.

Bring More Discipline into Your Daily Life

When you lack discipline, you won’t be prepared for the surprises that come to you throughout each day. This can leave you feeling confused or fearful, which are emotions that will negatively impact your ability to lead. By bringing more order and discipline into your life, you’ll be prepared for those surprises and you’ll have a strategy for dealing with them.

Make Sure Your Door is Still Open

When you first started leading your team, you probably promised them that your door would always be open. As you think back over the most recent weeks, how many times has a team member taken advantage of that open door policy. If the answer is zero, that may be because your team doesn’t feel that openness any longer. This is the ideal time to check in with your team and make sure they still feel welcome to express their ideas and concerns. Take the time to ask how each individual is doing and show an interest in their job satisfaction as a way to get the ball rolling.

Find a Mentor

You’re never too seasoned to benefit from the advice and guidance of others. You should look for a leader you admire, either within your organization or outside of the company, and connect with them. It will be beneficial to have the ear of someone who has developed a strong leadership strategy. They can help you fine-tune your own style and give you insights that will help you deal with specific challenges. Maintaining a connection with another leader will also help you stay focused on your role as a leader.

As with any tool, leadership skills will become rusty and dull through periods of non-use. Yet, you still possess those skills and finding new ways to use them will help to keep them sharp. As long as you make the effort to stay dedicated to your leadership style, your efforts will pay off.