Leadership and Brownies

Are you juggling multiple deadlines and projects? Are you working to solve a significant challenge right now?  Are people depending on you to deliver a result that has very high stakes?

Chances are, the answer to one or all of these questions is yes, and this is a fairly common dynamic for you as a leader. It’s also likely that handling these kinds of situations are some of your greatest strengths as a leader. People know they can count on you, and you thrive in that environment.

SO…

Since doing what you do well is a significant part of how you make an impact in the world, the question then becomes:  How do you ensure that your pace and brilliance is sustainable, and make sure your time is spent strategically?

There are many answers to these questions, and in previous blogs, I’ve shared tools to help you:

To find your answer, you may also want to look for any of these potential “cracks” in your ability to continue delivering at the level you expect of yourself:

  • Do you feel like the weight rests solely on your shoulders?
  • Do friends or family feel neglected?
  • Do you find yourself getting frustrated when people are not as laser-focused as you are, and they don’t seem to “understand” how serious things are?
  • Are you getting sick, gaining weight, having trouble sleeping, and don’t have time to take care of yourself?

MY PREMISE is this:  what you DO matters; how you BE matters.

Therefore – to ensure you can have the impact you are meant to achieve – it is your responsibility to ensure that you take control of how you lead.  The decision to invest in yourself, and put your own oxygen mask on first lies solely with…you. And no external force can prevent that from occurring unless you let it.

It is not your responsibility to do everything that appears in front of you… even if you “can.”  It’s just not an option for a leader like you to burn out, alienate those around you, run yourself into the ground, or neglect things that matter to you.  So stop it!

CREATE RECHARGE MOMENTS

Today, I invite you to take a moment and CHOOSE to create the space for creativity and connection. This will help you to move through your day in a way that energizes, enrolls and engages yourself and others around you!

Plus, creating these recharge moments ensures that you can be the incredible leader that you are – day, after day, after day.

I challenge you to shift your mindset from viewing this as a thing to do “after you finish your work,” or as a reward, to a leadership strategy that is an integrated part of your work.

HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS

You may only need a few moments to take time to do this.  It could be as simple as scheduling a walk during the middle of the work day, reading or writing, talking to a mentor, working with a coach, or a 10-minute meditation.

Create the possibility for you to re-charge, gain perspective, tap into your creative force. Today was a particularly busy and challenging day for me, with a proposal due, a final report needing to be drafted, three organizational client coaching sessions and a meeting with my coach. And what did I weave into my day?

I baked brownies.

And now, at the end of the day, I get to savor the fruits of my labor:  the calmness, connection and clarity I brought to each of my clients, and the sweetness of the gooey brownies, shared with my family.

Enjoy your moments.  Take charge of your day. Ensure that your leadership approach is sustainable.  Most importantly…Have fun.

If you would like support as you transition from knowing this is what you “should” do, to creating an integrated plan that incorporates your high standards, keen work ethic, and trajectory of professional success, let’s get on the phone.

To your success,

Kathryn

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