Priorities

3.33 am this morning. My mind was alert, in full flow. “Go to sleep” I said to myself. But alas, it wasn’t to be.

So here I am. Life is so designed that we constantly feel time……

Time’s pressure can often blur our focus…… and frequently do!!

Yet, as a consumer of time, I’ve realised that my management of time, tells me a lot about the management of myself.

So……, I know it is impossible to do everything, and yet I try, and try and try again!! That’s just daft! Or is that just me?

I have really enjoyed the first 2 hours of my early morning rise. I have been productive, focused on what matters most, eliminated the trivial (again) and recognised what is truly important – the essential things – as opposed to everything else.

So, now that I have my life in order again, I’m off to see my mum, go for a walk with my wife and enjoy the day ahead! How about you, what are you up to?

The Kaleidoscope of Leadership

As a child I remember having a kaleidoscope, with each simple turn a new beautiful pattern appeared. Kaleidoscopes constantly generate changing symmetrical patterns from small pieces of coloured glass. In a similar way a kaleidoscope can symbolise anything that changes continually. Consider leadership!

“Trying to describe leadership is like having several viewers trying to compare what they see in a kaleidoscope when the mere act of passing the kaleidoscope shakes up its design.” Neal A. Maxwell.

Growing older, I am beginning to see that life can be frequently like a kaleidoscope. We can get shaken up from time to time. However, by pausing, slowing down a little, reflecting and looking inside our kaleidoscope of life and holding it to the light – beautiful new patterns emerge. Perhaps we all play the busy card too often and don’t ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ long enough to see the beauty appear.

So it is with the kaleidoscope of leadership. Endless patterns, endless models, endless ideas, endless determining factors constantly shifting and shaping our leadership styles. What matters most are the constant principles that create the most respected leaders – namely kindness, patience, meekness, humility, honesty, forgiving, commitment, respect, selflessness obedience and finally living the golden rule – do to others as you would have them do to you. Each of these qualities produces a kaleidoscope of beauty, no one can eclipse.

Someday

“๐‘บ๐’๐’Ž๐’†๐’…๐’‚๐’š” is an all too frequent response I hear over and over again, in many settings including leadership workshops, coaching sessions or even in many simple conversations.

There is a real danger in the word ๐’”๐’๐’Ž๐’†๐’…๐’‚๐’š – what it actually means is ๐’๐’๐’• today. It is very disheartening. Many discussions focus on the glory days of bygone years, with little desire for others to fulfill their hopes and dreams of a brighter future. The danger of delay is clear, life will catch up with us and we ๐’˜๐’Š๐’๐’ run out of time.

How many times have you said ๐’”๐’๐’Ž๐’†๐’…๐’‚๐’š, postponed or procrastinated something and never got around to it?

Often, doing what matters most will not be easy. It is not supposed to be. But, it is time to change. It is time to start that new job. It is time to make that bold decision. It is time to move forward in a positive new direction. It is time to do what matters most over those things that matter least. It is time to wake up and make those dreams a reality!

There are seven days in the week and someday isn’t one of them. The real winners in life, are the ones who evaluate the situation, make a decision, then act and are not acted upon. Choose to get rid of the ๐’”๐’๐’Ž๐’†๐’…๐’‚๐’š syndrome and get on with life ๐ญ๐จ๐๐š๐ฒ!

Listening

The time to listen is when someone needs to be heard. Listening is not something that just happens (that is hearing), it is a conscious action of learning to listen and listening to learn.

I love this story from the biography of Marion G. Romney..โ€œHis good-humoured love for Ida was manifested in many ways. He delighted in telling of her hearing loss. โ€˜I once went to see a doctor about her hearing,โ€™ he would say. โ€˜He asked me how bad it was, and I said I didnโ€™t know. He told me to go home and find out. The doctor instructed me to go into a far room and speak to her. Then I should move nearer and nearer until she does hear. Following the doctorโ€™s instructions, I spoke to her from the bedroom while she was in the kitchenโ€”no answer. I moved nearer and spoke againโ€”no answer. So I went right up to the door of the kitchen and said, โ€œIda, can you hear me?โ€ She responded, โ€œWhat is it, Marionโ€”Iโ€™ve answered you three times.”

So, how are you doing? At home, with your spouse or partner, with your children, in the workplace, with your direct reports, or around the executive board table? Are you running on auto-pilot, nodding at the right time, dropping in a cursory yes or no to give an impression of listening.

Can you do better? Do you want to change?

Some simple tips:
– Speak less
– Be attentive
– Slow down
– Practice! Repeat, repeat, repeat

Anchors

What anchors you in the challenges of life?

A dictionary definition states that an anchor is โ€œa person or thing that provides stability or confidence in an otherwise uncertain situation.”

Challenges

Many years ago, I recall abseiling (rappelling) for the very first time in St. George, southern Utah, from a cliff, several hundred feet high. Approaching the edge of the precipice, I was filled not only with excitement, but a great deal of anxiety too. I had a range of equipment, ropes and carabiners, plus some expert guides on hand to ensure my safety – in essence, my anchors that day. Their goal was a safe, exhilarating experience – by overcoming a significant challenge. They employed techniques and equipment that was tried and proven, allaying the dangers of the situation. The next few moments were exhilarating and thrilling as I edged backwards over the cliff, descending to the canyon floor.

Values

The challenges of life are all around us. In our topsy turvy commotion filled world, all that can be shaken is being shaken. Individuals, families and organisations need anchors too. Life has a way of testing our anchors or values causing us to drift from the safety and protection they provide.

What anchors me are those things I cherish and value most of all.ย  How about you?

Establish your values and choose to anchor yourself to them – by living and appreciating them daily. Therein lies safety, protection and peace of heart and mind.

Change – Speed & Agility

In our topsy-turvy, commotion-filled world, the pace of constant change is accelerating faster than superhuman Usain Bolt can sprint 100 metres.ย  Change can be dizzying and exhilarating!ย  Yet for many frightening too!

Mindset is key

It is our mindset and how we view things that is critical. Your mindset is effectively the way you think.ย  When faced with a change we must consider how we process those thoughts in our mind.ย  We need to fight against our natural instinct to resist change and our negative thought patterns that usually come at breathtaking speeds – unconsciously even.ย  Instead, we should embrace a more agile mindset, grasping hold of and looking ahead to the opportunities that are presented before us.ย  How we think about and perceive change is key.ย  For example, paraphrasing George Bernard Shaw “There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?”

Our world is filled with disruption, indeed all things are in commotion and everything that can be shaken – is being shaken!ย  For daily evidence of that fact – simply watch the news!ย  My thoughts turned to Dylan Thomas “Do not go gentle into that good night (as I considered President Trump’s latest remarks) …. Rage, rage against the dying of the light” – will be his repeated hyperbole until he leaves the world stage.ย  As the acceleration and hastening influences in our world through technology and globalisation continue at warp speeds, clinging to and living our values each and every day will be the key to dealing with the changes set to come.

Do you know what your core values are?ย  Have you established what matters most to you?

Pause for a moment in amongst the turmoil and vicissitudes of the day.

Determine to embrace change.ย  Choose to change your thoughts, to change your world.

What will you do to reconsider how you view that change today?

 

 

Be true to who you are

Our values are under attack…. personal, societal, organisational – open your eyes and see. This is a momentous challenge of our day.

Actions speak much louder than words. Know your values. Live them. Know your organisations values. Live them. Walk your talk. Be true to yourself, and those who you lead. Act, do not be acted upon.

In organisations when values are ignored and people donโ€™t live by them, they have no meaning. When this occurs, I’ve witnessed business cultures becoming hypocritical, and employees losing respect for the organisation and its leaders. Conversely, when values are put into action, people feel engaged, energy, enthusiasm, and the drive to go beyond the ordinary all come to the fore.

“Vertigo to values brings a special dizziness” – Neal A Maxwell.

Identify the obstacles on your own path, get rid of the roadblocks and eliminate them! Always remember to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong. Strongly-held values create powerful foundations in personal, family, societal and organisation structures. Be true to who you are and stand by your values.

Start today. Pause, reflect, identify your values and what matters most.

Balance

In recent coaching conversations, the topic of “balance” has arisen several times.

There are three areas in life – self, family and work – the key relationships – that need daily attention if balance is to be obtained.

Decide and commit to adopt the goal of balancing self with family and with work. Commit yourself to make yourself do the hard work, including the daily mental effort that is required to bring about this balance. We need to change our thoughts and what we think about, to change our world.

For example, there are three effective times for me every day to consider balance ….

– Early morning as I get out of bed – that first hour allows me to reflect, focus and plan the day ahead.

– Late afternoon or early evening when I return from work and the labour of my day.

– Late evening or when preparing to go to bed.

My top tip – Reserve a small segment of those times every day to consider the important matter of balance. Little things, will prove to be big things. Go on, give it a go!

How change agile are you?

How change agile are you? Do you anticipate, adapt and plan for changes?

As a frequent traveller, Iโ€™m always on the lookout for a travel bargain, on flights, trains and hotels. For an upcoming engagement in a few weeksโ€™ time, Iโ€™ll be in central London 5 nights straight. Planning ahead (3 months ago) I secured a good rate for those evenings in a central London hotel. Checking my booking a couple of days ago, I discovered that I could get a much better rate only a few weeksย before Iโ€™m actually due in the city, at an upmarket sister hotel. Howโ€™s that? It doesnโ€™t make sense to me? Iโ€™m very organised and always like to book well in advance!

Agility, is the ability and your willingness to change quickly to new developments. Speed, nimbleness, dexterity and being fleet of foot all come to mind, in order to adapt to change quickly – it is key to your future. So, pick yourself up and get your running shoes on.ย  You’re absolutely going to need them simply to keep up with the pace of change in the world today.

The algorithms behind these advanced rates on booking sites are complex, but the key to it all is agility! Change is now the expectation โ€“ NOT โ€“ the exception.

What am I learning?

Agile leaders and agile organisations must be entrepreneurial in their mindset and approach to change โ€“ always! Best to check that hotel, train or flight booking again todayโ€ฆ. It could be far cheaper now!

Are you stubborn?

Are you stubborn? Or obstinate perhaps?

Stubbornness is defined as “having or showing dogged determination not to change one’s attitude or position on something, especially in spite of good arguments or reasons to do so.”

However, stubborn people are driven by a resistance to being forced into doing or experiencing anything that feels against their will, even when all the evidence and opinion is pointing in one direction. A person who is being stubborn will cling to their decision regardless of the consequences. At the root of all stubbornness is the fear of letting go of your own ideas, convictions, decisions and at times, identity. Of course standing your ground I guess can be a good thing when it comes to living your values or defending something that is of great importance. But there is a very fine line between the two.

True stubbornness can and will block our happiness in life, it will harm our relationships, and can hold us back professionally.

The Key

I think the key to overcoming a stubborn streak is to “know thyself” in other words greater self awareness. Recognising too as to whether you are right or wrong in a given situation is vitally important, as I believe there is significant value to looking at something from many different perspectives. Always listen to the other side of the story, seeking to understand, then pause, consider and reflect. Everyone of us can and does make mistakes, and we are all wrong sometimes. Remind yourself that this time might be one of them. When that occurs, then its wise to admit you are wrong, and seek to repair the damage done.

How will you be more sensitive to that stubborn streak of yours?