Good Morning,
Happy Wednesday. Have a wonderful day. Enjoy.
Lisa
Today’s Challenge ~ Take a few moments to reflect on your leadership and the footprint it leaves behind.
Always do your best……awareness is the best tool that a leader has available. It allows us to be mindful of the energy we create with our approach, and it forces us to hold the mirror up so that we can see what others see, and feel what they might feel when they are engaged with us. Indeed some of the best leaders I have had the privilege to work with; regularly step back and reflect on their leadership and their personal brand. No matter what we might think of ourselves; people’s perceptions of us are driven by their experiences with us. So we need to take inventory of how we walk in the world. We need to be mindful of where our conditioning and defaults take us in every situation. For example are you conditioned to always identify what’s wrong with something, what is missing, or what needs to be changed?
Or do you catch people doing things right? Are you always careful to preserve the self-esteem and the self confidence of the people you regularly engage with by making sure that your feedback is balanced and constructive? Because the facts are you cannot shame people into changing their behaviour. You must balance optimism and realism and ensure that the lasting impression you leave is one of hope, and possibility. This means that in your reflection you need to have a plan for your own development. Not a vague intention but an actual plan….and when people give you feedback; pay attention. If it makes you angry they’re probably on to something. So ask yourself what is the 2% truth in that feedback, and make those adjustments accordingly. For nothing is more hopeless and damaging than the coach who cannot be coached. Remember, plants need rain to grow and so do people. Namaste
John Maxwell said “Do you make it a practice to reflect on your positive and negative experiences? If not, you will miss the potential lessons they have to offer. Do one of two things; set aside time to reflect every week, examine your calendar or journal to jog your memory. Or build reflection time into your daily schedule. Every past success and failure you’ve experienced can be a valuable source of information and wisdom, if you allow it to be. Successes teach you what you’re capable of doing and give you confidence. However your failures often teach greater lessons. They reveal wrong assumptions, character flaws, errors in judgment, and poor working methods. Yet if you fail to learn from your mistakes, you’re going to fail again and again. While this seems basic, most leaders are activists…they tend to look forward, not backward.”
By Lisa Scott ~ Executive Life Coach