Despite how long we’ve been a leader, it’s important to revisit the foundations from time to time. How many times has Bob pointed to a swimmer and told me, “He’s working too hard, churning water. He just needs to “a-b-c”. Sometimes, as leaders, we need to redirect, refocus and tweak.
Think for a moment of some leadership qualities you’ve developed that have made you a stronger leader? Write them down. Do you think you’ve lost ground in any area? If so, do you see any results in your business, family, relationships or stress-level because of it? If so, perhaps it’s time to correct.
What are some areas that can cause us to get off our game as a leader? Look at the following list by “Top Seven Reasons for Executive Derailment” to see if any of the following defines your behavior:
- Acting with an insensitive, abrasive, intimidating style.
- Being cold, aloof, and/or arrogant.
- Betraying personal trust.
- Being overly ambitious, self-centered thinking of the next job, playing politics.
- Having specific performance problems with the business.
- Over-managing, being unable to delegate or build a team.
- Being unable to select great subordinates.
What’s your reaction to this list, and then ask yourself the following questions:
- Am I too busy?
- Do we need new goals, i.e. are we working on the wrong, or outdated goals?
- Do we need a better way to choose leaders for our team?
- Do I need assistance with developing my management team, or learning how to manage the relationships between them?
- Am I trying to shortcut progress?
- Do we need to stop and resolve some personal issues?
Sometimes to get to the next level, we all need a little outside encouragement. Do contact us if Bob or I can be of assistance.