The Discipline of Preparation (#206)
The Confident Leader
BOOST YOUR LEADERSHIP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
A few weekends ago, my kids surprised me with a Father’s Day getaway to Austin, Texas. We had a great time including attending a Justin Timberlake concert. I was blown away by what I learned from his masterful performance.
“You’re not meant to do what’s easy, you’re meant to challenge yourself.”
― Justin Timberlake (American pop artist)
This Week’s Edition
While many leaders rely on good instincts and natural talent to make key decisions, the best understand the power of preparation. Are you willing to do what it takes to maximize your leadership potential?
Clarify Your Thinking
It was the best concert I had ever attended for an artist I don’t follow.
Timberlake is a true performer.
His entire performance was meticulously choreographed. Every step, every move, every gesture was intricately designed, and it flowed so perfectly that it appeared as though spontaneously created in the moment.
If you allowed yourself to get caught up in the moment, you would miss that he does this nearly every night for over two hours.
I marveled at how every detail was planned and rehearsed to perfection, so much so that it didn’t appear to be rehearsed at all. That’s how masterful it was.
This got me thinking about performing our best as leaders. This prompted 3 questions we might ask ourselves:
- Is my professional performance top-notch?
- Are my clients getting the best of me “night after night?”
- Am I truly prepared or merely reacting to the moment?
Old Thinking: I don’t have time to prepare. I am too busy fighting fires. Plus, if I prepared at that level, I would come across as too rehearsed. I don’t want to come across as fake. I want to be authentic.
New Thinking: I know in my heart of hearts I’ve not done the preparation I need to perform my best. Often, I am too reliant on my instincts. If I’m honest with myself, I’m a long way from being too rehearsed. In fact, my current lack of preparation often has me fumbling.
Thoughts Lead to Actions
I’ve been working with one leader and their team as they prepare for a presentation that could dramatically alter the future of the business in a positive way. As a result, they are serious about their preparation:
- We met daily for four weeks
- We rehearsed the presentation countless times
- They practiced in front of other groups
By their own admission the “process” was grueling and challenging:
- They struggled to determine the key points to share
- They fumbled with their wording and answers to questions
- It was hard to hear the feedback about their performance
However, at the end of the process, the leader shared with me, “Robin, this has been harder than I thought. Truly, I don’t think the actual presentation will be as difficult. I think we are over-prepared, which makes me feel very confident.”
Question: What are you willing to do to achieve what you want?
Will you walk the gauntlet of true preparation, or will you stop short, hoping your instincts will kick in under pressure?
Why not rely on both? Your hard-earned preparation AND your instincts under pressure. Fill your quiver with the most arrows possible.
Boost Your Performance
Watch this week’s video for more details on how to think about the level of preparation you need for important performances as a leader.
What’s Your Opinion?
How do you prepare for your leadership week? 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.
