Learn How to Declutter Your Leadership Life. (#240)
The Confident Leader
BOOST YOUR LEADERSHIP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
“Robin, I feel like everything is so muddled and chaotic right now. I’ve inherited some of the mess, and some of it is just clutter in the business,” said Jennifer, the CEO of a company in transition. She isn’t alone. I’m seeing other leaders going through the same thing. Many are taking specific steps to declutter their leadership.
“My brain is like a junk drawer—filled with random thoughts, half-baked ideas, and a mental sock I’ve been searching for since 2012.”
This Week’s Edition
An OfficeMax survey found that 90% of Americans think clutter negatively affects their lives and work, with 77% claiming it reduces productivity.
Clarify Your Thinking
“Jennifer, given the detailed description you provided about your company’s disorganization and the mental clutter you’re facing, what do you think you need to do next?” I asked.
“Well, I draw inspiration from the actions of other leaders. Jaime Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan, is requiring everyone to return to the office. Another CEO in my YPO group is using AI to streamline standard operating procedures. Additionally, another CEO is performing a talent audit to improve his team’s performance and possibly downsize his workforce,” Jennifer shared.
“Robin, I’ve concluded that I need to do some spring cleaning. I need to declutter both my organization and my leadership. I’m just not sure how to begin.”
Old Thinking: It truly feels like I am trying to run in mud. I’m working very hard, yet I don’t feel that I’m making any progress. We might have too many priorities, staff, red tape, and emotional baggage.
New Thinking: I want to collaborate with my team to determine if we need a good old-fashioned spring cleaning. Let’s declutter, lighten the load, and rev up the engines.
Thoughts Lead to Actions
Someone mentioned to me that they think it’s beneficial to move houses every ten years. It compels them to get rid of things they no longer use or need.
Spring cleaning is essentially the same process, but done annually. It gives you the opportunity to declutter your home, preventing you from being physically or mentally burdened by items you no longer use or need.
How can we apply the concept of spring cleaning and decluttering our lives to our leadership?
Leaders can take the initiative. You can select a time this week to start decluttering your leadership life and increase your productivity. Here are four things to consider:
Area #1: Your physical space.
- Clean out every cabinet, drawer, and cubby.
- Create three piles: Keep, Trash, and Archive.
- Have a team member at your side for accountability.
Area #2: Your digital environment.
- Unsubscribe from emails you don’t read.
- Address each email once: Reply, Respond, delegate, or create a task.
- Remove the mental weight of the 4,358 emails in your inbox.
Area #3: Your commitments.
- Determine your priorities for Q2.
- Eliminate any commitments that do not support those priorities.
- Delegate to others. Retire the commitment. Pause the commitment.
Area #4: Your thinking space.
- Reframe those thoughts in your weekly Leadership Thinking Time.
- Spend 5 to 10 minutes each day capturing your thinking.
- Identify the thoughts that hinder your success.
Leadership is challenging enough without adding a significant amount of clutter. Avoid making things more difficult than they already are. Streamline your leadership by addressing these four areas with enthusiasm for keeping things straightforward and efficient.
Boost Your Performance
Check out this week’s video to learn more about effectively addressing each of these four areas.
What’s Your Opinion?
What’s the one thing you will do this week to declutter your leadership? Share it with me at 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.
