When I was in the process of designing my website and thinking through topics I could write about, the topics of this book became my first blog series. The blog series was intended to be simple and concise, but I had written more content than would be helpful for reading in a minute or two. So I had it in the back of my mind that I would put this together into an eBook of some sort in the future. What you have now is the culmination of several years of writing (re-writing), tweaking, and expanding! 

Over time, I realized what was originally intended to be a talk about anticipating needs has turned into a summary of foundational leadership principles. Good leaders will desire to serve the people around them and the great way to serve other people is by anticipating needs.

All leaders lead by example. I've known leaders who are disconnected and heavy handed and unfortunately the people who work underneath of these kinds of leaders often mimic their example. I've also known leaders who are connected to their team and lead with humility and service. Humble leaders grow and empower their teams and motivate out of love instead of fear. 

The key to being one of these leaders is knowing how to anticipate the needs of your work and your team. Anticipating needs is really caring for your work and the people you know enough to think about them ahead of time and make the best decisions for everyone. In order to do this properly you need to do seven things:

Be Organized

This requires thinking ahead, keeping your thoughts clear and organized, planning your time, and setting goals. You have to Distribute Time effectively.

Be Personable

Talk to others, make people feel valued and important, and communicate with confidence and clarity. You have to be able to Engage in Conversation.

Be Bold

In order to serve others and anticipate needs you need to be able to communicate boldly. Know the in's and out's of your work so that you can give an answer for the decisions you are making. You must Take the Lead to be Assertive.

Be a Servant

Whether you’re at home or work, anticipating needs requires the heart of service. Thinking of others more highly than yourself. This is accomplished by Asking What You Can Do.

Be Invested in Others 

If you’re going to anticipate the needs of others, get out from behind the desk or out of the house to know the people you’re serving. This requires Initiating Relationships.

Be Invested in Your Own Development 

In order to serve other people and anticipate needs grow in your knowledge of people, ways of serving, and how you can improve yourself. Doing this effectively is dependent on you taking the Lead with Learning.

Be Positive

Being a good leader requires you to motivate others around you by showing them the things that are possible instead of focusing on what isn't possible. It's about problem solving and helping others think about things from different angles and points of view. You have to show others how to Search for Solutions.

Anticipating needs is more than just thinking about things ahead of time and being organized. Those things are great and worth your efforts. But anticipating needs goes beyond those things and reaches into the lives of the people surrounding you. So, the next time you feel disorganized, like you aren't leading and anticipating the needs of your team effectively, or unsure how to best start serving those around you, just think about the DETAILS.

I’m releasing a revised version of my eBook DETAILS. You can click the link below to get a copy along with a bunch of free printable resources. Check it out!

| Credits: Author & Photography: Jacintha Payne; Graphic Design: Marketeering |