Category: Leadership Development

15 Ways to Overcome Burnout

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Prolonged stress or red mind can lead to burnout. Research shows this state can be reduced or eliminated by being in, on, near, or under water. — Wallace J. Nichols

Preventing burnout protects your overall health and your career. However, if the way you work changed radically over the past year, your old defenses may not be enough. How do you know if you’re burned out?

Some of the most common signs include depression, irritability, and lack of motivation. You may feel tired and unable to control your circumstances, a condition author Wallace J. Nichols calls red mind. When this state is allowed to continue unaddressed over time, your physical health can be affected too, putting you at increased risk for heart conditions, diabetes and other medical conditions.

If you’re feeling down or your productivity has dropped, you can recover. Try these 15 strategies for bouncing back from (and preventing) burnout.

During Work Hours:

  1. Evaluate your expectations. Burnout is often caused by pushing yourself too hard for too long. Look at your to-do list and see what you can eliminate or delegate. Focus on your top priorities.
  2. Set goals. Working towards something you want to achieve provides instant inspiration. Break long term objectives down into daily and weekly targets, so you’ll keep building momentum.
  3. Limit distractions. Burnout makes it difficult to concentrate. Create quiet spaces where you can work at the office or at home. Turn off your phone and stay away from websites and apps where you tend to lose track of time.
  4. Phone a friend. Do you feel isolated or have more conflicts with your coworkers? Burnout can take a toll on your relationships. Participate in social activities at work. If you feel safe, talk with your boss or a trusted colleague about what you’re going through.
  5. Have fun. Brighten up your workday. Join the party planning committee. Recent research shows the best way to combat videoconference fatigue is to PLAY! Lighten up, and have some fun.
  6. Pace yourself. How many hours are you working a week? Research shows that excess overtime lowers your performance. You’re more likely to succeed with a 35-to-40-hour week.
  7. Take time off. It may help to get away from your routines for a while. If possible, use your vacation days to visit family and friends in another city. If you’re short on leave, you could try a spa day at home or check into a local hotel for the weekend.
  8. Reconnect with your mission. It’s easy to get so caught up in the details of daily life and lose sight of what matters most to you. Press pause, and take a moment to reflect on the big picture. Discover a deeper sense of meaning and purpose. Sometimes we need to remember what it’s all about. What’s on your horizon? What legacy would you most like to leave? Book time with a coach to explore these questions.

Outside of Work Hours:

Practice mindfulness for effective leadership.
  1. Address root causes. While there are many things you can do to cope with burnout temporarily, lasting change depends on resolving the source of your troubles. Maybe it’s an event at work, or maybe it has more to do with your disposition or personal life. Book time with a coach to explore these questions.
  2. Set boundaries. Remote work blurs the line between business and leisure activities. Try to keep office items out of your bedroom. Let your team know the hours when you’re unavailable, and honor their boundaries to model behavior.
  3. Sleep well. Go to bed on time, so you can wake up feeling refreshed. Stick to a consistent schedule, even on weekends and holiday. Creating an evening bedtime ritual can help you relax and prepare your mind to sleep.
  4. Work out. Physical activity relieves stress and gives you more energy. Design a balanced program of cardio exercise, strength training, and stretches. Good old-fashioned sweat can be cleansing and therapeutic for the mind as well.
  5. Find your Water. Research shows that exposure to blue mind – being on, in, under or near water – will not only interrupt the red mind state, but it can also renew, restore, and reinvigorate the deeper intrinsic motivation to thrive. Go for a swim, take a shower, listen to a fountain or waterfall, look at photos of your last trip to the lake. Join a session of Blue Health Coaching.
  6. Learn to relax. Manage daily tensions with stress-relieving activities. Listen to instrumental music or work on your hobbies. Develop a mindfulness practice.
  7. Consider counseling. If your burnout symptoms persist, you may benefit from working with a professional therapist. Some employers have extended mental health benefits as a result of COVID-19. If you’re on a limited budget, contact a community hotline to explore low-cost services.

Burnout can seem overwhelming, but you probably have more options than you think. Change your daily habits and ask others for help if you’re struggling. By taking intentional, constructive steps forward, you will be able to regain a healthy work-life integration and increase overall life satisfaction.

Contact us to learn more or book your free coaching consultation today.

Envision the Future: What’s on Your Horizon?

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As we look toward the horizon of 2021, it’s important to remember that what we envision as our future will move us closer to our legacy, whether accidentally or intentionally. This year, we introduce a monthly thematic focus, designed to elevate and accelerate growth. In January, our focus is Envision the Future: What’s on Your Horizon in 2021. This theme is all about Visioning & Goal-setting to inspire thoughtful reconnection and passion about what matters most to you. In the coming weeks, look for new tools, tips and techniques to help you #ENVISION your personal, professional and organizational outcomes for the #NewYear2021.

No matter what your aspirations for the New Year may be, goal-setting is a critically fundamental part of turning vision into reality. By setting goals, you will not only gain motivation and self-confidence, but also increase resilience, well-being, and performance (DuBrin, 2012). Elite athletes know the power of integrating visualization and imagery techniques into their goal setting and goal attainment processes. In fact, research shows that using external visual representations and visualization tools can considerably increase the likelihood of successfully reaching a goal (Cheema & Bagchi, 2011).

To help set you up for success in 2021, check out these resources

👀 What’s your biggest, wildest dream?
👀 What would you most like to accomplish in 2021?
👀 What is keeping you from achieving this?
👀 What tools, resources or support would accelerate your achievement?
👀 How will you measure success?

  • Vision Quest Exercise
  • Goals Vision Board
  • Values Vision Board
  • Motivational Vision Board
  • Self-Care Vision Board

To learn more about how coaching can be a resource for you, book your FREE Initial Consultation today!

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Celebrating the Harvest: A Shift in Focus

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Celebrating the harvest

Without a doubt, 2020 has been one of the most bizarre years on record, at least in my lifetime. Between COVID-19, murder hornets, heightened racial tensions, polarized politics and more, this year has been challenging in many ways. As the year draws toward a close, our friends and colleagues in agriculture are reaping the harvest once again. For providing over 400 commodities in California alone for human consumption, especially this year, we are grateful. We are grateful for the freshest, safest, locally grown produce in the world. Thank you!

Several years ago, I wrote about what harvest means to me, growing up in California’s Central Valley. In my small town of Lodi, California, harvest was a time of measuring performance. In some ways, a time of reckoning: Had we sown the crops and tended the soil properly? Had weather conditions been favorable? Had we sufficient water for irrigation? In organizational terms, we might reframe the questions to ask: Had we been strategic in our planning and execution? How had the market and other external factors contributed? How did we manage our resources – human, natural, material – to deliver on the promises we made?

In times of crisis, many of these factors are out of our control. It is human nature to desire control over that which is in our power to control. For this reason, we have seen increased depression, suicide and emotional duress in recent months. Before we fast-forward into 2021, let’s pause to highlight a few blessings that have emerged in this time. In coaching conversations with clients, I have seen goal setting in coaching engagements, in these 5 Key Focus Areas:

Focus on Wellness.

Whether it’s a mindfulness practice, an exercise routine, a coastal walk with a Blue Health Coach, or other mental health breaks, many people have not only expressed an increased interest in focusing on some aspect of self-care, but also integrated new kind of new routine to support this focus. Although this may be balanced by the increase in consumption of alcohol and comfort foods, these indulgences may play a role, as well. After all, sometimes we need to cut ourselves some slack. Long story short, leadership begins with self-care. One of the first lessons we teach Rescue Divers is, “You cannot rescue someone else by putting yourself in harm’s way.” The same is true for leaders. Leaders who are drowning in their own sea of uncertainty or inexperience are not in a position to help, direct or lead others. In fact, the very first module of our new Inspired Leadership offering begins with “Leading Self.” May we remember to continue caring for our own well-being in service to others, even when life returns to “normal.”

Focus on Family.

With many parents working from home, and children engaged in a hybrid approach to online learning and home-schooling, more clients are reporting a return to family dinners, family walks, and other activities that are often squeezed out of our fast-paced lives. However you define “family”, more people are choosing to foster more meaningful interpersonal relationships, not only with loved ones, but also with long lost friends and family. The ways families have been engaging in celebration, whether it’s weddings, memorials, graduations, birthdays, are so creative! We are already beginning to hear the term, “COVID Baby” used to describe new additions to families during this time. It will be interesting to see how this return to family relationships impacts social and community issues in the months to come.

Focus on Community.

In the absence of large scale public gatherings and events, people are finding creative ways to connect socially, while remaining physically distanced. A greater sense of community and compassion for our neighbors has emerged, such as deliveries of cookies on doorsteps, grocery and errand runs for the elderly, intentional efforts to support local businesses and restaurants. One of my favorite examples of this is local photographer, Lara George, who creatively began her “Front Steps Project,” as a means of reaching out, connecting with people, offering her services and simply bringing joy to surrounding communities. She posts on social media when she will be driving through a neighborhood, so families can come outside on their front porch, just as they are, and be photographed by her from the street for physical distancing. Be sure to check out Lara’s project, and show her some love.

Focus on Purpose.

At least half of the coaching conversations since March 2020 have involved some discussion about re-evaluating one’s career or life path. While some are exploring retirement, others are considering a completely different type of work or field of discipline. Arguably, in some cases, this may be related to that normal stage of adult development we call “midlife.” In nearly all cases, the client is seeking something more satisfying, fulfilling or meaningful. Now, I thrive on these conversations, having experienced a bit of my own career re-evaluation not too long ago. More importantly, my clients are seeking a deeper sense of purpose, and choosing to leave a legacy for future generations on purpose.

Focus on Perspective.

Related to purpose, many people are taking advantage of the opportunity to press pause, take a deep breath, and consider their situations from a different perspective. They are wanting to see the “bigger picture,” and make sense of how it all fits together. We have seen more interest in Blue Health Coaching™ than ever before, as people discover their desire to have a deeper connection with their own lives and with the planet, specifically our marine ecosystems. If you are curious about Blue Health Coaching,™ try one of our “Toe in the Water” sessions to have an experience, learn about the science of blue health benefits, and meet some cool people in the process.

May we preserve some of these positive lessons gleaned from this season of uncertainty. Take heart in knowing this too shall pass; and hopefully, we will have learned through the challenges into wiser and more compassionate human beings, more patient leaders and more purposefully leave a legacy for future generations.

What are you harvesting?

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Human Energy for High Performance

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Athlete
Extraordinary performance is achievable when you understand your personal mission.
This article is adapted from an article originally written for Horizons Magazine, a publication of the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation, Spring 2020.

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of working with a group of leaders on the subject of human energy for high performance. During this session, we explored what it takes to perform consistently with the highest levels of energy when it matters most, based on decades of research conducted with elite athletes and military special ops teams. Sports psychologist Jack Groppel and his colleague, exercise physiologist Jim Loehr, were seeking to understand how these high performing professional athletes, who were at the top of their game, could rise to even higher levels of achievement. What these researchers discovered was that regardless how much time, energy, effort and training these athletes put into their preparation, their performance was limited until they were able to tap into what mattered most to them: their ultimate mission.

Taking Care of Business

When you compare these professional athletes to professional leaders, it is easy to see the similarities. Leaders are like “corporate athletes,” in that they are required to perform consistently under intense pressure, measured by their numbers and held to sometimes brutal accountability. Last year’s record becomes the new standard or baseline for this year’s performance. Taking care of one’s body is taking care of the business. Laser-focus in the moment is required for success.

Lastly, the right energy is required for high performance in both of these types of professionals. Professional athletes work four to six hours per day, 90 percent of that time is spent training and preparing for game time. They endure a career span of seven to 10 years. By contrast, professional leaders typically spend eight to 12 hours per day, 10 percent training for a 30+ year career span. In agriculture, these numbers are likely even more extreme. The key difference here is that elite performers invest in training, whereas our professional leaders are up against more demands over a longer period of time with limited resources and training. So how can we train for life? The reality is we only have 24 hours in a day. However, we can change the energy we bring to those moments that matter most to ourselves, stakeholders or loved ones. Energy is a personal resource that can be expanded and managed. Proper motivation changes our mindset and changes our energy. The more engaged we are, the greater our ability to perform at higher levels. Managing our energy, not time, is key to unlocking extraordinary results.

Energy Management

Energy is four-dimensional: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. These dimensions are interconnected and interdependent. For example, a person who is physically exhausted or hungry might experience a heightened emotional sensitivity. We might call them “hangry.” Similarly, heightened emotions, such as worry, fear, anger, may impact rational thinking and decision making. Furthermore, when we allow these other dimensions to rule us indiscriminately, it is unlikely we are fulfilling our greatest purpose, functioning as our best self, or operating with emotional intelligence. The spiritual dimension refers to having a clear sense of purpose or personal mission. While not tied to any specific religious or faith-based traditions, these might inform one’s sense of purpose. Lastly, it bears noting that although energy inspires extraordinary performance from the top of the pyramid down, we increase energy capacity from the bottom up. For example, when we can prepare in advance for creative problem solving in the mental dimension by caring for our physical well-being with adequate sleep, nutrition and hydration, and then addressing the emotional dimension through journaling, deep-breathing or talking to a loved one.

Practical Application: A Remarkable Journey

During a recent group travel seminar, participants had daily opportunities to practice energy management on all dimensions. As our alumni will report, these travel seminars are described as intense, often emotionally charged marathons of meetings and experiences, designed to expand critical thinking skills while reinforcing leadership behaviors and principles. Not only is the schedule fast-paced and physically demanding at times, the topics and issues discussed may challenge the mental and emotional dimensions, as well.

Program participants demonstrated exemplary energy management by balancing the high intensity and demands of some days with adequate rest and self-care as needed, as well as understanding and compassion for each other during some of the more sensitive moments of the trip. Navigating the day-to-day adjustments, the class acknowledged the looming uncertainty that followed in anticipation of the coronavirus outbreak. It seemed we were one day ahead of each stop in our agenda.

We had planned to tour the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to learn about leadership in emergency situations (i.e., outbreaks). So, when the EOC was activated, we relocated to a different part of the facility. We were uncertain what we might encounter during our discussion of emergency preparedness, food safety and tour of the David J. Sencer CDC Museum. Then we learned that President Trump would be onsite the next day, so there was a level of increased security and flurry of activity in preparation for his arrival. Special thanks to our contact at the CDC, without whom we likely would not have had access, were it not for connecting with her as a participant in one of our 2019 programs. When visiting the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and National Center for Civil and Human Rights (also in Atlanta), the class experienced a simulation of the lunch counter sit-ins of the 1960s, learned about the Freedom Riders and the courageous struggles endured in the not so distant past.

In Washington, D.C., the class called on all three branches of government, learning how each one interacts with others and enjoyed a special tour of the Capitol with Rep. Jim Costa. As we departed to Gettysburg to learn about leadership lessons on the battlefield, we learned that all government offices had been closed to public visits. Then Friday, we departed in time to arrive home, reconnect with loved ones and prepare for self-quarantine.

We are grateful to have completed this travel seminar when we did. What a difference a day makes! I commend the class for setting the pace, managing their own needs, showing up with their full and best energy and engaging completely in this learning experience. They will make a significant difference both individually and collectively in the months and years to come.

Time for Reflection

At the time of writing this, California is under a mandatory shelter-in-place directive, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition to what has already been said about the importance of self-care, personal hygiene and social distancing, we now must recalibrate, reassess and redefine our personal missions. May we all take this moment in time to reflect on the following questions:

  • What matters most?
  • What difference do I really want to make in the world?
  • Why is this so important to me?
  • What is at risk if I do nothing?
  • What are the stories I tell myself about why (or why not)?
  • What small daily rituals can I begin creating today that move toward that ultimate mission?

The research shows when we take moments to reflect on questions like these, we are capable of unlocking extraordinary results. Imagine if we all became clearer on our personal mission, and took one small step forward toward it. And then another, and another. Think of what could be possible!

For more information on this or other leadership topics, please see the following references or contact me directly at info@bluehorizonsolutions.org.

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Communicating in Times of Change

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This article was first published in the Fall 2019 issue of Horizons Magazine, a publication of California Agricultural Leadership Foundation.

We live and lead in a time of incredible change. Whether a result of shifting demands due to foreign trade or international competitors or increasing regulatory requirements or evolving consumer preferences, strategic vision requires leaders to interpret the market conditions, make adjustments to business strategy and effectively communicate those adjustments across our organizations. It is often said that the only constant in life is change.

Change is messy, uncomfortable and typically avoided by many people. In my experience working in the technology industry, I have found seasons with high volume of change to be filled with innovation, opportunity and possibility. For leaders to effectively guide their organizations through such seasons of change, I’ve found the following model to be useful as a means of 1) recognizing behavioral responses they are seeing inside the organizations they lead in response to change, 2) understanding what people need in response to that stage of transition and 3) providing the appropriate leadership support to facilitate organizational change in the most empathetic and understanding ways possible.

In her book, “On Death and Dying,” Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (1969) describes five stages of grief, as a way to understand the normal range of emotions people experience when dealing with change in their lives—or in their workplaces. Her research observes and details these five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. In more recent years, organizational development professionals, including myself, have adapted and applied this model to understand how people experience organizational change.

Normally in organizations, a decision is made by senior leadership, which may include but is not limited to the executive team and/or board of directors. A period of due diligence and viability testing may follow, and then a plan is developed to communicate and execute the decision. Press releases are crafted, announcements are made and town halls may be held to convey the message. And then the organization reacts. At this point, leaders may forget that they have had the time and opportunity to process, think and reflect about the impending change before making such announcements, whereas their teams are just now learning about the change for the first time.

Change doesn’t happen at the flip of a switch or the drop of a press release. Change efforts often fail when leaders underestimate the very real emotional response that takes place for the human beings inside their organizations. The simplified four-stage model that follows is an adaptation of Kubler-Ross’ model, and has been utilized in multiple organizations across industries to help leaders recognize, understand and respond to the needs of their people in times of transition. This four-stage model includes: denial, resistance (which combines anger and bargaining), exploration and commitment.

Denial

At the time of announcing any size or complexity organizational change, leaders can anticipate that people will first respond with what is called denial. This stage includes such emotions as fear, shock and denial itself. Associated behaviors may be comments or why questions like, “Why is this happening? Why would they do this to me?” When observing such behaviors, leaders can suppose the person is experiencing denial. This is a normal and natural first reaction to change of any magnitude or complexity. Typically, people in the denial stage are searching for information. They are looking to understand what the change is about, why it is necessary, what is driving the change, who made the decisions, based on what information, and most importantly—how will I be impacted?

In response to this type of reaction, leaders can effectively support their people and address the need for information through communication. It is recommended that leaders provide as much information as is appropriate and possible to truthfully, transparently and legally provide, depending on the nature of the change. Transparency is key here, as it reinforces trust in the leadership team and belief that good and right decisions are being made on behalf of the people, the organization and the community. In the absence of information, human beings have a tendency to fill in the gaps through our imaginations, often creating worst-case scenarios. By providing real-time access to accurate information, leaders who effectively communicate can better equip their teams and stakeholders to deal with the changes being introduced.

There may be times when a leader does not know the most current information, or may not be able to provide updates as frequently as people would prefer. In these instances, the leaders may direct people to the most reliable information sources, such as a dedicated website, created as a communication channel specifically for the organizational change. This action serves a secondary purpose of empowering people to obtain the most current and reliable resources as needed, since each person will work through the change process in their own time and sequence.

Further, setting expectations about frequency of informational updates can help alleviate concerns that people may have about missing updates or not receiving timely information. Simply knowing when the next update will take place may relieve this pressure. Then, leaders may continue to reinforce this by establishing a regular cadence of information. For example, a leader may set a recurring time of Tuesday at 9 a.m. to provide a weekly update of all related announcements. This cadence reinforces trust and reliability of information, and of leadership, during the time of uncertainty. It is further recommended to offer a channel for two-way communication: ask the team, either formally or in conversation, “What questions do you have?” “What information do you need to be on board with this change?” And use this to inform the next set of updates. Be sure to set up a system that cascades the updated information, leveraging each level of leadership through the organization. Every level of leader needs to be singing from the same song sheet and providing consistent messages for the change to be well-supported by employees.

Resistance

Next, leaders will begin to recognize the stage known as resistance, which is an even more emotional stage, often combining reluctance, resignation, anger and frustration. In fact, this is where leaders may begin to see a decline in performance, resulting both from the temporary stall related to reluctance or resignation, but also related to any associated learning curve for new process. Even if it’s a very minor change, people will need to unlearn old ways of working, learn new ways and then return to efficiency over time. Learning curves take time. When leaders recognize these behaviors, it is important to understand that people simply need empathy. They will need to express what they are experiencing and name the emotions in order to move forward. This is a normal, natural and necessary part of the transition, which cannot be ignored or shortened.

People need the time, space and opportunity to articulate what they are experiencing. Leaders can help their teams by listening and allowing the space to express what needs to be said. This type of empathetic listening is similar to what program fellows experience during synthesis. Once they have been heard, people will be more prepared to move forward into the next stage.

Exploration

When people begin to consider possibilities, they have entered the stage known as exploration. Leaders might recognize behaviors, such as questioning how: “How will I, the team, the division be structured in the new organization?” “How will we deliver our products to market?” It’s about considering, “How could this change possibly be good for me (my team, my customers)?” “How could there be positive implications for me or others?” The emotions and the behaviors associated with this stage are hopefulness, thoughtfulness and frequently, impatience or eagerness to get to the next phase of the process.

People who find themselves in this stage of transition are looking for ideas. Leaders can support this stage by facilitating exploration, discovery and innovation conversations, whether in small group or one-on-one settings. By including people in the process of shaping a new future, this inclusive dialogue creates an opportunity for people to let go of resistance, and begin embracing future possibilities. Once people begin to see a new vision of the future, the organization begins to see a motivational accelerator. It begins to be exciting, productive and fulfilling to work there again.

Commitment

Finally, the organization enters the fourth stage of transition, called commitment. In this stage, behavior often appears as acceptance, trust and team cohesion. There may be a sense of relief that the organization has returned to a sense of normalcy. In this stage, people are accepting the new way. They are seeking recognition of new right behaviors and actions, as reinforcement and reassurance of the new way of operating. Leaders can provide those positive consequences through reward of the desired behaviors. Some leaders may overlook the importance of this critical step in the change leadership cycle. However, organizations that execute this stage well become more resilient and adaptable, preparing their people for future cycles of transition.

It’s important to remember that even though the process appears to be very organized, linear and sequential, the reality is we’re dealing with human behavior, so it can be non-linear, messy and emotional. By recognizing behavioral responses to change, understanding what people need and providing the appropriate leadership support, leaders can set their teams up for successful organizational change.

To learn more about this or other topics, please contact at: info@bluehorizonsolutions.org.

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Leaving a Legacy

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Adapted from an article originally written for Horizons Magazine, a publication of the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation, Spring 2019.

Growing Leaders

Effective leadership development begins with understanding who we are as human beings, how we behave in relationship to others and how we operate in the world. This insight informs the choices we make in creating compelling vision, influencing decisions of others and recruiting followers to join us in the journey. Sometimes leaders make new discoveries in this process, revealing unrealized potential or overexerted strengths. While our strengths can be a vast wealth of resource from which we draw, they can also be taken to extreme, which may show up as risk factors, resulting in negative consequences in our relationships.

One example that comes to mind is the visionary executive, who was usually the first one to recognize shifts in the market, identify business challenges faced by clients and anticipate necessary innovations that would advance his company. He was known for being visionary, creative and innovative. However, the risk factor appeared when he would make what his team described as “cognitive leaps of faith” in introducing his recommended solutions without connecting the proverbial dots for others in the room. He simply expected others to see the solution as plainly as he did and criticize the competence and capability of others when they did not draw the same conclusions. This leadership approach cost him the opportunity to continue progressing in his career. Ultimately, he had achieved his plateau much sooner than he expected.

By contrast, a mid-level marketing director had a reputation for being results-oriented with a “get the job done” mentality. She described herself as a “pleaser,” which to her meant she would always take on additional responsibility and find a way to get it across the finish line, so as to please her superiors. Her executive team saw and rewarded her potential for being able to execute efficiently and effectively. The downside of this strength was realized when her team of direct reports may not have shared her ambitious drive and need for recognition. In fact, she drove her team excessively, by overcommitting them and accepting more responsibility than her team’s workload could reasonably support. In effect, she burned them out. As a result, a complaint was filed with human resources and she was put on a mandatory leave. Fortunately for her, this was a reality check.

She began working with a coach to understand her leadership style and to make intentional corrective choices to rebuild relationships, have the crucial conversations when necessary and asked her team for their input on reasonable timelines and deliverables to ensure their health, wellbeing and success. In the end, she returned to work, re-established her credibility and built a new leadership brand for herself as a highly collaborative and execution-oriented leader who cared not only about the work product, but also her people.

Both of these examples illustrate the importance of understanding our strengths and recognizing the consequences when those same strengths are taken too far or over-applied. In both cases, it was how the leader responded to feedback from key stakeholders that determined the outcome. The first leader ignored the feedback, deflected the responsibility and chose not to adjust his behavior. This resulted in the end of his tenure with that company. The second leader accepted the feedback as a wake-up call, reflected and evaluated how she wanted to proceed and then took corrective action. Ultimately, she has been recognized and promoted for her newly discovered leadership capability.

Making a Difference

Leadership is a choice—a series of choices, really. Every day we are faced with choices, trade-offs and decisions, all of which have consequences—good and bad. Further, the work of leadership is often considered to be dual-focused. Leaders must be ever mindful of two realities: the current state of daily affairs and the future vision for the organization. Whether we lead small teams or large corporations or nonprofit organizations, we must keep both realities in balance.

Keeping one eye on the current state, we rely on our teams to keep us apprised of the day-to-day details of what is happening inside our organizations, our markets and our communities. We may have analysts and advisors and we may become embroiled in the operational heavy lifting necessary to keep the organization moving forward. However, it is not unusual for leaders to become overly involved in the daily details. Leaders who spend too much energy on the day-to-day details may lose sight of the long view: where the organization is going. They may miss opportunities to partner or innovate or collaborate for a broader benefit. In short, they may lose focus on the mission.

On the other hand, it is essential for leaders to step back from the details and take another perspective. This allows the necessary time for reflecting on progress, anticipating course corrections, planning deliberately and proactively leading with purpose and intention in the desired direction. Although spending excessive time and energy in this space is necessary, when overextended, it may delay leaders from making critical real-time decisions to keep the organization productive and in some cases, solvent. This dual-focused work of leaders must remain in balance, so that the time and energy expended never strays too far in either direction, as dire consequences may result. The sum total of these everyday choices, in the end, determine the difference we make.

Leaving a Legacy

At a recent networking event, I had the opportunity to share my personal mantra, which is: Learn. Lead. Leave a Legacy. This means we learn new skills, ideas and ways of working and being so that we may become more effective leaders who make a positive impact. Our everyday choices, expressed in our words and actions, including how we spend our time, talents and treasures, leave an indelible imprint on the people and the environment around us. These choices and actions leave an impact, whether positive or not. This impact is our legacy. In “A Leader’s Legacy,” authors Kouzes and Posner (2006) write:

“To realize that we make a difference is both a joyous opportunity and a potential burden. Because we most influence those who are the closest to us, we’re given a great gift. We’re presented with the chance to change a life. We’re granted the option of investing in the growth of others. We’re offered the opportunity to make the world a better place.”

Leadership truly is about recognizing the current state of our world, and making intentional choices to leave it a better place than we found it. These events are an opportunity to reconnect with the community, as well as to shape the future. Together, let’s leave a legacy, make a positive difference and be a catalyst for a vibrant community and world.

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Harvesting the Fruits of Our Labor

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Growing up in the small, Central Valley town of Lodi, Harvest represents to me a season of reaping what has been sown, seeing fruits manifest, enjoying outcomes, and of course, evaluating performance. You’ve done the planning, laid the groundwork, tilled the soil, planted seeds of opportunity, and waited… sometimes patiently. Now is the season when all of those efforts begin to pay off!  The fruits of your labor are bursting forth with possibility.   How well does your organization measure its performance against strategic goals and objectives? 

Many organizations struggle to define clearly measurable performance objectives. When this happens, success metrics may not accurately reflect actual outcomes, impact or progress toward the organizations ultimate mission. Consequently, this complicates reporting, funding endeavors, and strategic planning initiatives for the following year.  What story does your performance measurement tell? 

Our strategic planning process begins with the end in mind. First, we evaluate existing key performance indicators, comparing against stated goals and objectives from the organization’s mission, 3-5 year and annual plans for alignment, measurability and validity, just like any good research project. To break that down a bit, here’s what we mean:

  • Alignment: Are we measuring what matters?  Sometimes we measure factors other than what was stated in the mission, strategy and annual plan. While this is perfectly normal and acceptable, let’s be certain we are doing so with intention. It is critical to determine to what degree are we achieving our mission. Performance indicators need to illustrate movement in the appropriate direction on the most important dimensions for your organization. These indicators tell us how close we are to achieving the goals, doing what we told our customers (and shareholders) we would do, and what needs to be improved as a result. 
  • Measurability: Can our performance indicators be measured?  Often, stated organizational goals are not only aspirational, but also esoteric, so they may not be captured in a quantifiable way. Even with the most subjective aspirations and strategies, quantifiable, measurable goals can be assigned to present a clearer picture of performance.  So this is an opportunity to revisit the organizational mission and objectives.
  • Validity: Do performance indicators measure what we intend to measure? For example, when measuring employee engagement, factors such as attendance or attrition may be interesting independent factors, but we can only measure the relationship between these factors, but we typically cannot argue causality from these alone.  What other data would better inform your planning for the future?
  • Recalibration: What story do the performance indicators tell? Every year, organizations large and small have the opportunity to recalibrate, realign and course correct for the following year. How would you like to envision the story at the end of next year?
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Find Direction and Unlock Extraordinary Performance

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Have you ever felt that there’s just not enough time in the day? Most often, when we run out of time for projects or pursuits, the reason is that we’ve spent a lot of time lost in ambiguity.  If you had 5% more energy, how would you prefer to spend it?

Research by Human Performance Institute shows that when human beings connect with our deepest sense of purpose  – or mission – we become significantly more focused, more intentional and more effective.  Decisions about how time should be spent are overridden by the impact a choice will have on our ability to show up with our full and best energy when it matters most.  When we are supremely clear about where we’re going and what we want to do, there’s no sense of time lost. Our actions are clear & precise, and we can make an AMAZING amount of progress in just a short period of time.  In reality, extraordinary performance is less about time management, but rather about energy management.  To energize your mission, follow these steps:

  1. Lay a Firm Foundation: Your physical well-being is the foundation for what you can deliver. When your body is tired, dehydrated, malnourished or burned out, how can you expect show up and deliver a world-class performance in a clutch situation? Continuously pushing your body beyond its capacity will force it to shut down.  The good news is that capacity can be increased through alternation of strength training and recovery intervals.  Meanwhile, be proactive and listen to what your physical body is telling you: Strengthen me, Feed me, Water me, Walk me, Rest me. Take care of it before it forces you into recovery by shutting down.
  2. Balance it out: Highly stressful work and life situations are emotionally demanding and physically exhausting.  Be mindful of your emotions, as well as how they are showing up in your conversations and your relationships.  Sometimes, stepping outside of the line of fire can restore a focus on that mission once again by recognizing what really matters most.  The simple act of reflecting on what you are grateful for has the power to reconnect you with what energizes you, motivating and driving you forward in a way that is meaningful, satisfying and powerful.
  3. Change perspective:  Sometimes we humans have a tendency to overthink things.  By stepping away from a problem or challenge to view it from a different angle, we open ourselves to think differently about what could be possible solutions.  Get outside your head a bit. Go for a walk. Go to the gym. Bounce an idea off a thought partner. Visualize the outcome. Then return to the question you’re trying to solve.  And be intentional.  It’s amazing how a different point of view can radically improve the quality of the solution!
  4. Connect to your Ultimate Mission:  Being clear on what matters most – that deepest sense of purpose for you – is what differentiates average from the exceptional. Seek your purpose. Find your direction. Get clear and be intentional.  Unlock the extraordinary!

What keeps you from achieving your highest purpose?

For more information on how we can help you identify your deepest purpose, contact us today.

Learn. Lead. Leave a Legacy.

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Top 10: Ways to Lead by Example

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Good leaders must lead by example. Through their actions, which are aligned with what they say, they become a person others want to follow. When leaders say one thing but do another, they erode trust, a critical element of productive leadership. Here are 10 of the dozens of ways to lead by example.

1. Take responsibility. Blame costs you your credibility, keeps team members on the defensive and ultimately sabotages real growth.

2. Be truthful. Inaccurate representation affects everyone. Show that honesty really IS the best policy.

3. Be courageous. Walk through fire (a crisis) first. Take calculated risks that demonstrate commitment to a larger purpose.

4. Acknowledge failure. It makes it OK for your team to do the same and defines failure as part of the process of becoming extraordinary.

5. Be persistent. Try, try again. Go over, under or around any hurdles to show that obstacles don’t define your company or team.

6. Create solutions. Don’t dwell on problems; instead be the first to offer solutions and then ask your team for more.

7. Listen. Ask questions. Seek to understand. You’ll receive valuable insights and set a tone that encourages healthy dialogue.

8. Delegate liberally. Encourage an atmosphere in which people can focus on their core strengths.

9. Take care of yourself. Exercise, don’t overwork, take a break. A balanced team, mentally and physically, is a successful team. Model it, encourage it, support it!

10. Roll up your sleeves. Like Alexander the Great leading his men into battle, you’ll inspire greatness in your company.

 Learn. Lead.  Leave a Legacy.

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