In Need of a Leadership Reset? (#211)

The Confident Leader

BOOST YOUR LEADERSHIP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

In the past two weeks, several leaders have indicated they need to reset their leadership. My discussions with each produced tangible steps any leader can consider as they prepare for the fall. 

“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.

―  Carl Jung (Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist)

This Week’s Edition

What does it mean to reset your leadership? 

Clarify Your Thinking

Summer is an opportunity to get away from the day-to-day work environment. Many of us took a vacation and removed ourselves from our normal work routines. 

This allowed us to gain perspective on how we have been doing things versus how we might want to do them in the future. Whether you know the changes you want to make or are experiencing a general feeling that you want to do things differently, now is a good time to entertain a leadership reset for the fall.

One CEO said, “While I’m rested from time off this summer, I’m still mentally fatigued. I don’t want to run my leadership life the same I did the first half of the year.”

I have found that his sentiment is common for leaders who are experiencing the cumulative effect of their responsibilities in a post-Covid world with high interest rates, inflation, and the threat of a looming recession. 

Old Thinking: I don’t like my leadership routines and rhythms in the first half of the year. Maybe if I double down on them, it will get better.

New Thinking: I don’t want to continue doing the same thing expecting a different result. I can change my leadership approach and design the leadership life I want to live and still produce effective results.

Thoughts Lead to Actions

The start of fall is a great time of the year to reset your leadership. Here are the steps I offered each leader who independently asked for coaching on how to reset their leadership life.

Step 1: Make a list of your priorities.

• Creating a ranked list allows you to hold yourself accountable to the choices you make about how you spend your time and your money. 

Example:

• My health and well-being
• My significant other
• My family
• My work
• My friends
• Serving my community
• Etc…

Step 2: Review your calendar for the past month and calculate the time you spent dedicated to each priority. 

• Evaluate the time allocation of each priority. Which priorities are getting too much time, too little time, or just the right amount?

Step 3: Set goals for what you want to accomplish by the end of the year according to each priority. Evaluate whether that goal requires more or less time than you’ve spent historically.

• Dedicate the time to each priority by reserving blocks of time on your calendar for each priority.

Example:

• My health and well-being – 60 min MWF to a working out routine
• My significant other – date night once a week
• My family – family dinner four nights a week
• My work – dedicated start time and end time 
• My friends – outing with friends once per week
• Serving my community – monthly service at my favorite org
• Etc…

While the previous examples deal primarily with personal priorities, you can do the same exercise with your work priorities. 

So often I see leaders resetting their “leadership” life without giving attention to the other areas of their life. Typically, the reset fails, and they are left wondering why. Take a holistic life approach to ensure you are spending your time fulfilling all your priorities. 

In our office, we say, “If it’s on the calendar it’ll happen.” So, before you build your fall calendar take time to determine what is important to you. Decide what you want in each of your priorities and commit the time. Time is the only true resource you have. Spend it wisely. 

Boost Your Performance

Watch this week’s video for more details on how to prioritize your fall calendar to create a true leadership reset that’s simple and will stick. 

What’s Your Opinion?

How do you reset your leadership life? Let me know: robin.pou@robinpou.com

If you are going to be a leader, you might as well be a good one. Don’t let doubt count you out. Have a confident week!

Robin Pou, Chief Advisor and Strategist

We live to make bad leadership extinct so forward this newsletter to others who strive to be confident leaders. 

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What is “The Confident Leader”?

During the Covid-19 Pandemic, I began a video series called “Panic or Plan?” It was designed to equip leaders to navigate the doubt they experienced and to rise in the confidence they needed to lead during turbulent times. It took off. I then started this newsletter to equip leaders in the same fashion each week for the doubt that crashes across the bow of their leaderSHIP.