How do we set ourselves up for success?
Leadership, at the core, is about enabling the success and peak performance of others, usually in the context of achieving the broader organisation’s goals. It’s really difficult to lead a successful, high performing team if you’re neglecting the steps and actions that feed your own success.
Have you ever taken a small child bowling? To the eternal thanks of parents everywhere, including myself, bowling alleys help minimise the spread of tantrums by making ‘bumpers’ available, rails that prevent gutter balls, meaning that however errant and off-course the bowling ball, it will always make its way to the strike zone. What are the safeguards and guide rails we can put into place to ‘bumper’ our way to successful leadership?
Successful, sustainable leadership needs us to be in peak performance- and if the paragraph above doesn’t give you a clue about how much I love a metaphor, the next one will!
Consider the typical successful weight loss journey- we set a goal, be it a dress size or a number on the scale. Now, we put on Netflix and wait for the weight (see what I did there) to miraculously drop off. Not quite!
Setting the goal is the easy part- be it weight loss, or shifting to peak leadership performance. Next comes the making it happen. We might decide to join the gym and subscribe to a food delivery service. Or, if we really want to achieve that goal we’ll get super-specific. We’ll set a deadline to make it happen- this is where the wedding and gym industries interplay so beautifully! We’ll meal plan according to our required nutrient load and calorie deficit to meet our needs. We’ll not only join the gym, get a training buddy or hire a PT, we’ll schedule when, where and how we’re going to train. We’ll set mini-milestones along the journey and we’ll throw out all the sugar-laden, processed food in the house. We’ll track and measure our progress each week and celebrate each win- maybe not with a donut, alas… Bottom line- we’ll set up our lives to work with our goal, not against us. So too with peak leadership and living our best lives.
In the day-to-day life as a leader, it’s the habits, routines and rituals that we put into place that will either safeguard our success or will derail it. When we’re intentional about our routines they become our daily habits- we become intentional by actively planning them. When you’re purposeful about such things as how you spend your time (aligning this to your values, but of course!) it feeds into your leadership by allowing you to be less reactionary, one of the roadblocks to effective leadership, as well as enabling reflection and the subsequent growth of self-awareness.
Active listening is a vital leadership skill- but it’s one that should have an external focus more than internal! In my constant research exploring the concepts of my coaching focus, I’ve come across suggestions that people apply these same skills through a consistent reflective practice to stay aligned and in touch with yourself, your behaviours and your performance. However, while the practice of active listening is a way to create balance, harmony and understanding, the practice of self-reflection, of truly listening and observing your own responses and behaviours are markedly different. Self-reflection is analysing a situation and coming up with a strategy or a list of ways to show up differently next time. It’s being highly aware of how your body or mind responded ie anxiety, anger, frustration and then subsequently how you reacted and the impact your reaction may have had on others. Like all things, a reflective practice is one that benefits greatly from consistency and focus. Include space and time to think, learn and grow in your daily or weekly habits- this will cultivate curiosity and an open mindset, as well as give you white space to incorporate this into your reflective practice.
If you are prone to self-doubt and self-criticism, and you are aware of this, when the proverbial hits the fan- and in any functional, contemporary workplace it will, then a reflective practice will help you to step away from obsessing over every mistake and view it instead with an open-mindset, and allow you to focus on your inherent strengths, skills and expertise. It will help you to set the tone for the workplace and if your people watch you embrace a philosophy of a fail-safe workplace they too will lean into an attitude of growth and learning.
On that- boundaries, boundaries, boundaries. As a leader, you’re embodying both a noun and a verb, so lead by example. If the values on the wall suggest a balance between work and life, why are you at your desk before sunrise and after sunset, and why are you emailing your team on weekends? Live the organisational values- this is the only authentic way for your people to be able do the same. While we’re speaking values - a huge part of my work as a leadership and life coach is working with leaders to align their personal values within their organisational values. One of the most exciting moments for me as a coach is when a client has that a-ha moment of knowing that their boundaries, as defined by their values and those of the organisation give them a tangible means of creating work life balance as a win/win for them AND their workplace. How good is that?
Self-care is as non-negotiable to achieving your vision, personally and professionally, as is KPIs and targets. Some leaders I work with actually include personal goals within their KPIs and expect the same of their teams- I think this is an incredible demonstration of a values-led organisation and leader. Self-care doesn’t have to be overly complex- simply move every day, eat well and go to bed early so you get enough sleep. A well-rested leader is a leader better placed to thrive.
You’ll note that none of the steps I’ve outlined above are extensive or convoluted- quite the opposite! All you need to shift to peak performance is some simple habits, routines and rituals to keep your steps for success achievable and actionable. Of course, this is a very quick overview and my coaching with leaders provides tangible support, steps and accountability to make them happen. Would you like to explore working together? Just reach out!
