Colleagues, MVP: Use one word to capture your goal and be a reminder. Confession: this is my favorite one! Strategy 5: Use one word Even when we set goals and identify strategies, it can be hard to consistently focus. We get stuck in quadrants 1 and 3 and it’s hard to take time to move into Quadrant 2. What we need is a trigger, and that’s what one word is all about. Capturing our focus area in one word makes it stickier, easier to recall, and harder to forget. Here are a couple of examples: Your one word can be a literal reminder (succinct, lead) or a symbolic reminder (lighthouse).
With one word, you can capture your goal, your strategies, and even the emotion of your focus. One word becomes the trigger for your actions. So, what’s your one word? Cheers! Frederick
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Colleagues,
MVP: Focus on improving one thing at a time Strategy 4: Focus on improving one thing at a time We all have weaknesses, but it is difficult to focus on improving more than one thing at a time. Choosing just one thing can be challenging because most of us have multiple areas in which we can grow. However, trying to tackle more than one area often dilutes our efforts. Chances are that you have less than an hour a week to devote to your personal growth, so maximizing that time is essential. So, what to choose? Here are a couple of questions that can help:
Some examples:
Take action now: Take five minutes and identify one thing you would like to become better at. Cheers! Frederick Colleagues,
MVP: You have a superpower, but can you name it? Most of us are guilty of focusing on our weaknesses, and we need to do better at leveraging our strengths. Most leaders have one or two things they do better than anything else. Maybe they are great listeners, or diligent organizers, or they have that presence which lifts everyone up. Whatever it is, that special thing is like a super power. Thinking about your superpower makes it more likely that you will use it. Take action now: Think about a couple of leaders that you really admire.
Now, turn these questions on yourself. You can pretend to be someone else, or you can actually ask someone else. Whichever way you go, you’ll come up with your leadership superpower. I’m really interested in what you come up with, so please consider sharing by clicking here. Cheers! Frederick Colleagues, MVP: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” -The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1957 This week we continue digging into ways for you to grow yourself as a leader. Today’s strategy builds on strategy 2, blocking reflection time. Strategy 3: Assess your strengths and weaknesses As a leader, the demands on you are varied and complex. Although you can’t improve on everything at once, it is very important to keep in mind both your strengths and weaknesses. By leveraging our strengths, we can be more effective. By either improving or compensating for our weaknesses, we can also be more effective. Think about the most important aspects of your work and the most important projects or responsibilities you have and list them out. For each one, identify what went well and what didn’t and then link the outcomes to specific leadership skills or knowledge. Here’s an example: *Disclosure: The example is from when I ran the series two years ago. Today, my reflection on the podcast would be entirely different, and that’s the point! Reflecting has allowed me to double down on the strengths and address the weaknesses.
Doing just one of these is helpful, but analyzing a couple other areas will start to show patterns and provide us with deeper understanding of both our strengths and weaknesses. Take action now: Take one aspect of your leadership and reflect as above. Consider reflecting on how well you did in growing your people, as that is your most important responsibility (IMHO). Cheers! Frederick Colleagues,
MVP: Take advantage of people in your life with whom you can reflect. Following up on yesterday, here are two time-blocking examples from my own experience. Back in the early 2000’s I was the special education coordinator for the Putnam County Educational Service Center. I had the great privilege of working for Superintendent Dr. Jan Osborn. So much of who I am today is a result of Jan’s patient but insistent mentoring, teaching, and friendship. On many occasions I would meet with Jan late on Friday afternoon, after most others had left. He helped me unpack and learn from my week, but I was also a safe person for him to reflect with. We both grew from those times and I only wish that I had been better at making them a weekly pattern. Now, much of my work occurs in isolation. I begin each morning by reflecting in my morning pages. Mara and I also have a weekly call on Mondays and that facilitates the reflection process. Note that both these examples are imperfect and give yourself permission to be human. Happy coincidence - today is Friday! It is a perfect day for reflection. If you are finding this series of emails valuable, please consider letting me know what actions you have taken and/or what you have learned about yourself. Click here to reply. Cheers! Frederick |
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