This blog post features an excerpt of a special report called “Ten Traps Leaders Unwittingly Set for Themselves ~ and How to Avoid Them” (valued at $47) that I am giving away to anyone who is willing to take the time to complete a brief survey to help me determine people’s most significant leadership challenges. To get your free report, go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=saAAJEMZHUw6ptu39axnsw_3d_3d
In appreciation of your participation, I’ll also send you a free audio briefing on The Seven Secrets of Extraordinary Leaders ($47 value). As a bonus, you’ll also receive and a one year subscription to Synchronistically Speaking ($197 value) which features an executive briefing on a different leadership challenge each month.
Working too hard is one of the toughest pitfalls to overcome for the simple fact that so many people see it as an attribute. Many of us are brought up to believe that the harder we work, the more we will accomplish and that the busier we are, the more important we must be. We are conditioned to see inactivity as laziness and the need for rest and relaxation as a sign of weakness. But a frenetic pace can suck the very life out of you. And without life, there is no true leadership.
We learn from our experiences, and I believe that our effectiveness is directly related to our ability to reflect and integrate what we have learned so that we can apply it to future challenges and opportunities. But we cannot do this if we are running from one thing to another without some time to reflect. And though our frenzied pace may generate activity, if we don’t pause from time to time to evaluate where we are going and where we have been, we may forget what all the activity is for. Philosopher and poet George Santayana said “Fanaticism consists of redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim.” He also said “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Leadership requires energy, enthusiasm, creativity, insight and wisdom. These things need to be revitalized from time to time. And the way to replenish them is to engage in activity that feeds the soul. When we do not create time in our lives for this to happen, often we find our bodies (or our souls) create them for us through illness or some other experience that requires that we slow down for awhile. Pay attention to the signals you get that tell you your energy is running low. When your focus is scattered and you start to feel like you are on a treadmill, you need to plan activities in your days that will nourish you back to life. Until you do, you will not have the ability to impact, influence and inspire others in quite the same way.
Much has been written over the years of the importance of utilizing gut instinct in leadership. Gut instinct is a product of intuition. When you ask yourself an empowering question, such as “how can I take my leadership to a new level?” your consciousness gets busy finding the answer. These answers are often expressed through intuition. Intuition also provides us with information on what we need to do in any given moment. Intuition speaks softly and if you do not create silence for yourself, or engage in some kind of activity (or inactivity) that allows you to quiet your mind, the roar of your thoughts and busyness will drown it out.
The people you lead need to take time for themselves as well in order to remain at the top of their game. If you routinely work ten to twelve hour days and send emails around the clock, you are indirectly sending a message to your people that they should do the same if they want to rise in their careers. Hard work is important, but smart work is even more so.
Which one do you want to encourage in your organization? And what do you need to do to show others how it is done?
Unleash the Extraordinary!
Diane Bolden
© blog posts copyright 2007 Diane Bolden. All rights reserved.
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