In each piece I write, I often draw from the challenges faced alongside our clients or from my own encounters in the ever-evolving business landscape. Today I am drawing the narrative in my field of consulting and the struggles of the Big 4 consulting giants—EY, Bain, McKinsey, Deloitte—as they navigate the turbulent post-COVID era. This period has seen a pivot from these big firms to smaller, more specialized firms like ours.

But even with that, the pandemic disrupted our trajectory; the strategies we had meticulously planned as a consulting firm encountered unexpected roadblocks. This necessitated a return to the drawing board—a fundamental reassessment of all our methods, ensuring alignment with the current market demands. It’s a journey many businesses such as yours are probably familiar with, whether it’s been spurred by economic uncertainty, the loss of a key client, or entanglements in supply chain complexities. Yet, we persist, united in the pursuit of that elusive prize: growth. Each step forward is a lesson learned, embracing vulnerability as a springboard for innovation, continually reshaping ourselves to thrive – it is part of what makes the work challenging.

As we all know, growth is the lifeblood of a business, but it’s an elusive goal that seems to slip through the fingers of many ambitious companies. Despite their best efforts, the stark reality is that growth remains an unattained dream for most businesses. Recent data suggests only about 5% of companies exceed the $1 million revenue mark, and a mere fraction of those—roughly 12.5%—advance to $10 million. However, not every enterprise will scale to the heights of Google, Amazon, or Facebook, but there is a tangible middle ground: becoming a thriving, mid-market entity.

Drawing from our own growth journey and insights from our client engagements, we’ve identified seven critical barriers that must be navigated for a business to scale successfully. See if you have or possibly could fall into any of these rabbit holes:

1. Sloth (Complacency in Leadership Development):
In the seed stage, with a founder, an assistant, and an idea, complexity is manageable. But as the team grows, complexity doesn’t just add—it multiplies. A third member doesn’t triple complexity—it explodes. And with each addition, the complexity grows exponentially. To combat this, invest in the leadership team’s development. A company cannot outperform the collective effectiveness of its leaders.

2. Greed (Overdependence on Leadership):
True success in scalability is when leaders are not the smartest in the room but the most inquisitive. Holding all the answers can bottleneck progress and intensify blind spots. The most valuable businesses operate with autonomy, not reliant on a single leader’s knowledge.  Committing to a culture of psychological safety which breeds innovation is key.

3. Lust (Attachment to Vanity Projects):
Scaling might reveal pet projects still funded out of sentiment rather than strategy. Leaders must objectively assess and be willing to divest from projects that do not contribute to growth. The diversity of thinking on the team is what is important here – people being able to push back and leaders being able to look through a different lens is imperative. While it can be painful to let go of a cherished initiative, growth necessitates tough choices.

4. Envy (Internal Competition):
While competition in the marketplace drives innovation, within a leadership team, it erodes value. The behavior that propels a business against competitors can sabotage internal cohesion and effectiveness.  Ensure your leadership team is operating at the highest level by taking time to make the implicit, auto-pilot norms morph into rich discussions which lay things out and make things explicit in order to help grow the team.

5. Gluttony (Inefficient Scaling of Systems): 
Organizations must refine their systems to manage the increased complexity that accompanies growth. A lack of scalable processes can lead to disaster, with the business throwing personnel at issues, breeding frustration and inefficiency.  Leaders can sometimes overlook this, but since it is one of the cornerstones of Kaplan and Norton’s balanced scorecard (Processes, Finances, Customers, and People/Culture) including systems in all your strategic planning is a must.

6. Pride (Resisting Team Evolution):
The founding team might bring the start-up to the cusp of scaling, but they may not be the best to lead through it. Companies poised for growth build scalable teams early, focusing on cultural fit and leadership skills for an evolving business landscape.  Hiring in the right people includes using assessments as the “x-rays” to ensure a good fit for the future.  The team that got you here, doesn’t always mean that they are the team that will get you there.

7. Wrath (Failure to Plan for Transition): 
Success as a start-up founder does not always translate to success as the CEO of a growing enterprise. Many partnerships falter without a proactive approach to succession planning. Founders must envision their exit for the company to thrive beyond their tenure.  If you want to leave a legacy, do this as your company is scaling, not when it is contracting towards the end of your time at the helm.

Overcoming these “sins” is not just a strategic imperative—it’s a leader’s responsibility to clear the path for growth. It’s about transforming what holds a business back into the momentum that propels it forward. Scaling a business from a small team to an industry leader is a monumental task, but the rewards are equally grand. It’s a challenge that demands vision, adaptability, and a relentless drive for excellence.  Lots of work, but the peak is, hopefully, worth the climb!

I recently engaged with an HR professional from a high-profile company, exploring the prospect of working together. I got word that the answer was no. It seemed like the perfect fit!  The disappointment lingered as I walked out of my office and wondered out loud to no one in particular, “I don’t lose – how did that happen?” Frustration set in, and I spent the next couple of days pondering ways to make it happen.  I’m assuming you are a lot like me in thinking that if I put enough time and effort into something I can influence outcomes.  It has worked for me in the past, so my brain tends to go down that neural pathway!

That same week a conversation with my coach (yes, I definitely practice what I preach) made me stop in my tracks and reflect. She astutely remarked, “Cristina, this was a blow to your ego, not your core purpose.” I grappled with the truth in her words, questioning whether it truly was a dent to my ego. I slowed down and questioned whether the desire to collaborate with that specific company stemmed from a genuine appreciation for their core purpose or merely the allure of NYC and a high-profile team. The answer was uncomfortable and one I’m not proud to admit; it was the latter. My inner achievement addict had veered me toward a path misaligned with my values.

Later, that weekend, I went to the movies, where “Killer of the Flower Moon” captivated me. Growing up in Oklahoma, witnessing the impactful work of tribes play in leading their sovereign nation stirred a deep resonance within me.  On the journey home, reflections on the call with the HR director intertwined with the tribal resilience on the big screen. It became evident—I needed to realign with the essence of why I embarked on this journey in the first place. My focus had to shift from the allure of achievement to the fundamental motivation of serving companies with compelling core purposes.

I did find out that the “no” to the work was due to the CEO being relieved of his duties and a search for a new CEO commencing. The CEO’s replacement and a temporary halt to the work was inconsequential. The roadblock was the Universe looking out for me, safeguarding me from a venture that would have kept me busy but devoid of inspiration. It was a pivotal moment of course correction, a return to rethinking my efforts and not “pushing” into areas that aren’t even aligned with what I am trying to achieve.

In a world that glorifies achievement and busyness, where the default response to “How are you?” is often “Busy,” or if you are honest and talk about what’s not going well…there isn’t a lot of time or interest to unpack it because everyone has so much on their plate as well.  I believe it’s time to question the narrative we’ve embraced. The prevailing belief that success requires relentless upstream effort, pushing against the current, and making things happen. And if you put all of the things you need to get done on a list and just barrel through them, success will come. Truth is that this significant costs to our health and well-being. What if there’s a more sustainable approach? What if we could achieve more by doing less?  What if the answer to getting more of what we want isn’t addition at all, but subtraction?

To-Do, To-Do, To-Do
As it turns out, evidence supports that if we want to ramp up our productivity and happiness, we should actually be doing less. David Rock, author of Your Brain at Work, found that we’re truly focused on our work a mere six hours per week, which starkly contrasts our collective buy-in to the 40-hour workweek. When you stop doing the things that make you feel busy but aren’t getting you results (and are draining you of energy), then you end up with more than enough time for what matters and a sense of peace and spaciousness that constant activity has kept outside your reach.

As people with full lives — kids, careers, friends, passions, logistics, and more — how can we apply the wisdom of doing less to give ourselves more time and alleviate stress without jeopardizing our results?  We need to identify what not to do. But this determination can’t be random. It must be methodical and evidence-based.

For those who are still not convinced that doing less will result in actually getting more done, consider this: it’s not about actually having less on your plate, it’s about allowing your mind to focus on one task at a time, so that you can actually complete things fully and well. From there, you can build momentum to go onto the next task. Overloading your to-do list and overwhelming your brain is not forcing you to perform faster, it’s ensuring that you’re accomplishing less than you would if you only gave yourself a few tasks per day.

Rethinking Effort: Upstream vs. Downstream
Let’s look at upstream efforts and what that means.  Upstream effort is characterized by pushing against the current, striving tirelessly, and often feeling the weight of burnout. This type of effort is commonly rewarded by society, reflecting qualities such as hard work and determination. However, despite external validation, upstream effort may not always translate into a sense of genuine progress. It can be akin to swimming against the current, where the struggle may not yield the desired outcomes or a fulfilling sense of achievement.

While upstream effort might be externally praised, it can come at a cost. The relentless pursuit of goals without considering the broader context may lead to burnout, decreased well-being, and a lack of fulfillment. Working against the current can also result in inefficiencies, as the energy expended may not yield proportional results. Moreover, a singular focus on upstream effort may cause individuals to overlook the importance of the journey and personal well-being.

Conversely, downstream effort involves rowing with the current, adopting a more fluid approach to goals, and placing emphasis on the journey rather than solely on the destination. Working downstream entails maintaining a loose grip on objectives, allowing oneself to be guided by the natural flow of circumstances. The key to downstream effort is finding a balance between exerting effort and embracing a state of ease. This approach often leads to a more sustainable and fulfilling work experience.

Working downstream means aligning one’s efforts with the natural flow of circumstances. It involves being attuned to the environment and adapting to the rhythm of the situation. When working downstream, individuals may experience a sense of flow—a state of complete immersion and focus where tasks are performed effortlessly. This flow state is associated with heightened creativity, productivity, and overall job satisfaction.

Reflection Exercise
So, let’s put these two concepts together – focusing on things that really matter and spending the majority of our time in downstream efforts.  There is a surprisingly simple exercise to decide what activities on their to-do list need the most focus.  Here’s how it works:

Step 1: This is a big one!  Be very clear on what your core purpose and your core values are.  Not just “where” you are going, but also “how” you will behave along the way.  Once you have this established, it will make every other decision easier.  This one will take you some time and if you get stuck, reach out to a trusted person such as a mentor or coach.  You have to nail this one.

Step 2: Now, take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle, lengthwise.

Step 3: Decide on an area of your life or work where you’d like to have better results and less
stress. For example, perhaps you want to expand into an area that you know you can add value.  I spoke to a client about this exact topic with a woman who had put her hand up in her organization to put together a robust onboarding program.  She did an outstanding job and the whole team was so appreciative – and she was playing to her strengths and working in “flow”.

Step 4: On the left-hand side, list the tasks or activities you do in that area of your work or life. Say you want to be an expert in a certain area and thought leader…you might list attending conferences, pitching organizations for speaking opportunities, writing new articles, reading and researching, and so on.

Step 5: On the right-hand side, make a list of your biggest “wins” in that area, like a speaking gig, a presentation you really nailed at work, or a pitch that was accepted at a major publication. This can often be a difficult step for some people. We have not been culturally conditioned to celebrate ourselves, so often, peoplewill draw a blank when listing their “wins.” Any result you’ve gotten (either one time or repeatedly) that was positive can go on this list.

Step 6: Draw a line connecting each of your biggest wins to the activity or task that was most responsible for that result. Reading and researching, for instance, were essential to getting your pitch accepted for publication, so connect these two together.

Step 7: Circle all the activities and tasks on the left side of your paper that have been responsible for your big wins. Look at what’s left. Whatever isn’t circled is something that you need to either stop doing completely, significantly minimize, or delegate if it absolutely must be done. For instance, if you discover that traveling for conferences once a month isn’t directly contributing to any wins, it’s time to set that aside or at least cut back.

Step 8:  Focus.  If you are being authentic in your path, working downstream and focusing your energy on one thing at a time, you will make strides.  This is a tough one because there are so many distractions and “have tos” in our life that can overtake us.  Stay the course.

Achieving More by Doing Less
The main point is not to stop trying but to stop trying so hard at things that don’t matter. By focusing efforts on personally meaningful goals, trying becomes effortless, and success feels internally satisfying. The paradigm shift towards downstream effort offers leaders a powerful framework for sustainable success. This might seem counterintuitive, but the call to action is clear: examine your inner achievement addict, question motivations, and choose pursuits that are true and authentic. Health, well-being, and authenticity outweigh external validations. When these values are prioritized, you get clear on what you want, you focus on one path, and you work in flow, individuals can truly achieve more by doing less.

Last week marked a memorable event at Steople as we came together for our annual holiday celebration. The festivities included visits to pop-up shops, a fantastic lunch paired with a movie, and a private room reservation at a local restaurant. As I walked in the door and saw the “Steople Team Dinner” sign, I thought about all the lost time over the last few years when we could not get together.  The atmosphere was festive with Christmas music, trees, garlands, holiday drinks, and plenty of people buzzing about. It was just formal enough to be special but also laid back and relaxed.  It was evident how much the team needed this casual time together. Amidst the joyous occasion, reflections on the past challenging months prompted a realization – why don’t we engage in these gatherings more frequently?

Looking around the table, to my left was my dear friend of 25 years from graduate school, and seated at my right was one of my closest friends.  As I looked around the table at the entire team, it struck me that these moments were not just about celebration; they served as a powerful reset. For me, this evening rekindled the profound importance of placing people at the forefront of everything we do.  Are our business goals important?  Of course, but amid the daily hustle to accomplish our tasks, it’s easy to forget how crucial these relationships are to our professional and personal well-being.  We must get back to what makes us strong – having quality interactions.  According to a Harvard Business Review study, a staggering 61% of employees report feeling lonely at work, highlighting the need for time together.

So, What, Now What?
Amidst a global “loneliness epidemic” intensified by the isolation of remote work, businesses find themselves grappling with the imperative task of alleviating the pervasive sense of isolation among their workforce. Addressing these feelings of disconnectedness enhances individual team members’ well-being and emerges as a fundamental factor in shaping a resilient and thriving company culture. In this blog, I will explore practical steps for leaders to support their teams during these challenging times. This is especially compelling right now during the holiday hustle and bustle when people can be in a crowded room full of festive people and still feel very alone.  These are some initial steps you can take:

1. Champion Vulnerability
Loneliness poses a significant threat to workplace culture. Leaders can combat this by fostering a culture of connection through vulnerability. As advocated by thought leaders like Brené Brown, vulnerability involves opening up and sharing one’s authentic self, including fears and uncertainties. When leaders demonstrate vulnerability, it fosters psychological safety and trust within a team. This, in turn, helps combat feelings of isolation and loneliness.

2. Incorporate Team-Building Initiatives
Loneliness negatively impacts productivity, with 79% of employees reporting declining work performance due to feelings of isolation. Leaders can counteract this by organizing team-building activities and promoting deeper connections among team members. Integrating mandatory “5-minute icebreakers” before meetings is an effective strategy, enhancing personal interactions and fostering collaboration.

3. Prioritize Social Team Gatherings and Well-being Checks
Engaged employees are more productive, with Forbes reporting a 21% increase in profitability for companies with high levels of employee engagement. Recognizing humans as social beings, leaders can combat loneliness by facilitating meaningful social interactions. Promoting social team gatherings and scheduling well-being checks contribute to a positive work environment and heightened productivity.

4. Encourage Connections Outside of Work
Beyond work, employees need to foster connections in various aspects of life. Encouraging employees to reconnect with personal interests, family, and friends is crucial. Overworking exacerbates loneliness, with a survey by Harvard Business Review revealing that 40% of remote workers feel burnt out due to longer working hours. Encourage a culture that values personal connections beyond the professional sphere.

5. Establish ERGs or Hobby Groups
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and hobby-focused groups can be instrumental in combating isolation. Gallup reports that employees who have a best friend at work are seven times more likely to be engaged. Leaders can create a sense of belonging by emphasizing engagement around common interests, fostering camaraderie, and instilling a shared sense of purpose.

6. Cultivate Norms, Routines, and Traditions
Company culture plays a vital role in mitigating loneliness, as indicated by a Harvard Business Review study showing that 48% of employees consider a strong company culture essential. Establishing team norms, routines, and traditions creates a sense of community, reducing the risk of loneliness or silos within departments. Teams that feel connected experience higher engagement, positively influencing employee retention rates.

7. Create Opportunities for Regular Interactions
Regular interactions contribute significantly to relationship building. SHRM reports that 50% of employees feel more connected when they have strong relationships with their colleagues. Leaders should provide opportunities for teams to interact frequently, fostering social connections among coworkers and contributing to overall job satisfaction.

8. Equip Managers with Connection-building Skills
Managers play a pivotal role in shaping the employee experience. According to Deloitte, 87% of employees rate professional development and growth opportunities as important to them. Providing managers with the skills to cultivate social ties within teams not only combats burnout and turnover but also boosts engagement and overall performance.

9. Prioritize Individual One-on-Ones
Gallup reports that employees who feel their opinions count at work are more engaged. Leaders should initiate one-on-one check-in meetings to demonstrate genuine concern. Being fully present in these interactions allows leaders to discern nuances like body language and tone, establishing a regular cadence of individual meetings to connect with the team.

10. Adopt a Holistic Approach
Holistic well-being contributes to overall employee satisfaction and engagement. The Harvard Business Review found that 89% of organizations see improved retention due to well-being programs. Leaders should encourage having fun together, organize enjoyable bonding activities, and create an environment that supports employees personally and professionally.

11. Encourage Communication and Recognition
Communication is vital in reducing feelings of isolation. Gallup reports that 51% of employees are not engaged at work due to insufficient communication from leadership. Leaders should promote diverse communication channels to facilitate easy connection and collaboration. Regular recognition of employee contributions and positive feedback nurtures a sense of value and connection within the team.

12. Facilitate Non-Work-Related Conversations
Personal connections at work significantly impact job satisfaction. Recent research found that 57% of employees who have friends at work say they love their job. Leaders should engage in intentional, non-work-related conversations regularly, fostering a supportive environment where employees feel they belong and are well-supported.

Steople’s recent holiday celebration served as a powerful catalyst for recognizing the crucial role of human connections in the workplace. As leaders, this is a great reminder to combat workplace loneliness, emphasizing vulnerability, team-building initiatives, social gatherings, and various strategies to foster a people-centric culture. Amidst the holiday rush, these insights offer a concise roadmap for businesses to prioritize meaningful interactions, contributing to both personal and professional fulfillment.

As you wrap up the year and catch your breath…are you still marveling at the talent wars we have all been engaged in? And once you do get someone in the door, keeping your top employees from moving on to another company is almost as tricky. If so, you should consider an unpleasant thought: Your organization may be employing a bosshole.

It’s a fact that this type of manager gets operational results. Yet, in getting results, he or she may be taking down the organization in the process. These managers visibly gain ground in the organization, while simultaneously creating a path of destruction. They destroy morale, derail the efforts of others, and may ultimately destroy the company’s culture. We like to call these managers “abrasive leaders,” “competent jerks” or “bossholes.”

What Makes a Bosshole a Bosshole?
If you have one in your organization, they may not even be self-aware enough to know how they show up to their team. According to Laura Crawshaw, Ph.D., researcher, coach, and author of Taming the Abrasive Manager, “One of the characteristic aspects of abrasive leaders is they do not perceive themselves to be abrasive,” she explains. “They tend to be blind to their behavior, or think that it is necessary, that the only way to deal with employees is to be aggressive.” Essentially, these are the “red flag” behaviors that might be exhibited by a bosshole:

• Quick to anger and will utilize retribution with peers and direct reports.
• Superficially charming and makes a good first impression, but you soon see the personality and character flaws.
• Will manage up and attempt to create a good impression on their own boss or board members.
• Treats others with disrespect or publicly devalues others as being inferior or lacking.
• Seems to be highly dependent upon recognition from others.
• Constantly assesses for those who are a threat or will make him or her look bad.
• The word “I” dominates conversations. This person is oblivious to the frequency of self-references he or she uses.
• Takes little interest in you or others or in your life history, background, or accomplishments.
• They don’t seem guilty of errors or wrongdoing and do not apologize for their actions.
• Seeks to be the center of attention in meetings and will insinuate he or she is the smartest person in the room.
• Preoccupied with success or power to the point of alienating others.

Unfortunately, these types of behaviors rarely remain contained at the manager level. As in any culture, the behavior at the top can trickle down throughout the entire organization. People might rationalize the behavior and say, “We are getting results, so what’s the problem? I know people can’t stand her, but she delivers!” So, what is the problem? For starters, these individuals often maximize their own results at the expense of others. This manager is focused on operational metrics but forgets that results cannot always be immediately quantified in terms of sales dollars, increased contracts, or great audits. Are operational measures important? Absolutely! Are they complete? Not at all!

This type of manager’s long-term impact can devastate an organization. Unfortunately, many have risen through the ranks because of their ability to hit the numbers…their behavior is reinforced with each promotion or additional assignment.  When I work with teams in organizations, I sometimes see specific “symptoms” in the rank-and-file employees that might indicate that there is a bosshole on the team. These include:

• People are afraid to challenge the leader or take risks
• Complaints regarding the individual’s interactions with coworkers
• Requests to transfer out of the leader’s department
• Attrition of valued employees
• Decreased morale and motivation
• The company gets a bad reputation from various stakeholders
• There may be increased litigation costs in the company

Everyone in the organization knows the damage these managers can cause, however the organization puts up with their behavior for the sake of bottom-line results. But are the results from these managers really the results a company wants?

The Ripple Effect
Unfortunately, the impact these bossholes have on the culture of the organization can be devastating. Certain people in the organization may have worked for years to build up the culture, only to have it destroyed by one or two people in the company.  These are the behaviors that employees report when working for a boss hole:

• 48% intentionally decreased work effort and quality
• 47% intentionally decreased time at work
• 80% lost work time worrying about the behavior
• 66% said their performance declined
• 78% said their commitment to the organization declined

When looking at these percentages, it is obvious the impact that bossholes have on an organization.  However, the research indicates that their “Impact” may not match their “Intent”.

Myths and Truths about Bossholes
Contrary to popular misconceptions, bossholes are not necessarily awful people.  They may buy into their idea of success and not be aware of the damage they are doing to the constituents they serve.  Research by Lynne Harrison from Black Tusk Leadership states the following is true about these abrasive leaders:

• They often lack awareness of the real impact of their abrasive behavior.
• Their intention is to “do what it takes” to get the job done.
• They are defending against the threat of being perceived as incompetent or possibly failing.
• Often intense and driven, they are accustomed to being successful.
• They became leaders because they were individual solid contributors not because they were great leaders.
• They work in an environment that places high value on results regardless of how achieved.
• Sometimes the culture actually encourages abrasive leadership behavior.
• The organization is typically facing a high level of competition.
• The leaders did not receive any vital feedback from the organization requiring they change their behaviors.

Bossholes are especially sensitive to anything that challenges their position, success, self-perception, authority, or need to please. Therefore, they tend to overreact.  From experience, they have learned to survive by deploying unacceptable behaviors and will defend against any threats to how they are accustomed to achieving success.  Again, we want to emphasize that they may be shocked to find out that they are hurting the people around them.

Taming Bossholes 
In order to stop the destruction that occurs in organizations due to bossholes, people at the top have to take action.  They have to realize that while these individuals do get results, they are not the results that build a strong culture or typically align with company values. These are critical to being successful in taming your bosshole:

• Describe clearly the impact of their behavior on other employees.
• Declare their behavior is inconsistent with organizational values and will not be tolerated.
• Offer help and be actively involved in holding them accountable.
• Look at the organizational practices that may be contributing to the problem.
• Assess whether the leader, in fact, really is ready to change.
• Hire an outside coach or mentor for leadership development.

In summary, we have all either worked for a bosshole in the past or know a “living and breathing” one in our organization today.  It is essential to understand that the current culture may unintentionally encourage such abrasive behaviors.  But, the truth is that none of us has to continue to subject the people we are entrusted with in our organizations to these bossholes.  Any company with a relevant core purpose (that goes beyond making money) and truly lives by its core values will not allow a bosshole to continue to wreak havoc on the culture.

Shark Tank has been in the news lately…Mark Cuban plans to leave after 16 seasons. The following is a relevant, yet vintage, video about Mr. Wonderful on the ABC television show “Shark Tank” – a behind-the-scenes look at a self-proclaimed bosshole.

VIDEO:
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/work-bosshole-19206386

Yes, you read that title right…I wrote this blog on my vacation!  No, I did not bring a computer or a pad of paper and pencil  – I  designed it in my head as I walked around London, had my morning coffee, toured historical sites, and had lively discussions over dinner.  Some people think in the car, at the pool, or even in the shower.  I do my best thinking when I get out of my regular routine – as I take off on the runway and know that I am about to embark on an adventure…a sense of excitement about the possibilities comes over me.  I don’t have to be “on” for anyone,  live by my calendar, pore over spreadsheets, or jump on Zoom meetings.  I love my work, but there is still a sense of freedom!

We saved our American Airlines and Marriott points this year and took the family to London.  Some of us had visited before, and some hadn’t.  We stayed for ten days and had a fantastic time.  So much of what we saw was historical from Churchill’s War Room to The Tower of London. So what exactly did I think about during this vacation?  It was random musings on leadership, of course, since that is what I live and breathe every day. I distilled it into three concepts that are easy to understand but hard to practice.  If you take on the challenge of these disciplines, your leadership could be greatly enhanced.  All of this being said with the awareness that we are all naturally good at many things and have developmental opportunities in other areas…so a lot of grace for all of us as I push our thinking!

3 Strategies to Accelerate Your Leadership Capabilities

1.  Protect Your White Space.
So back to my vacation…Every morning I would get up and walk around the Chelsea neighborhood we were staying in.  I would get a coffee, do a little reading, people-watch, and daydream.  I always get lost in my thoughts during this precious time, and time can escape me if I’m not careful. I do my best thinking during this time to myself – using both the creative and strategic sides of my brain is a gift I am always thankful for.  Free time or “white space” to relax or enjoy an activity will give you that opportunity.

A sense of being lost in activity is what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a guru in the motivational psychology world, calls “flow”.  If you’ve ever heard someone describe a time when their performance excelled and used the term “in the zone”, then they are experiencing flow. It occurs when you concentrate completely on the task, your “work” is effortless, you get clarity in thought, and time seems to stand still.  I would give myself a B on this one – always working on making that space.  How about you?

Leadership Challenge:  What activity (or non-activity) can you integrate into your week that allows you to have some white space allowing free-flowing ideas that will positively impact both your creative and strategic thinking?  Can you eek out even 30 minutes a week to be by yourself, in nature, or do something you enjoy to free up your brain?

2. Be The Rock During the Storm.
 On June 4, 1940, the future of Great Britain seemed to hang in the balance. Nazi tyranny had spread to Western Europe, and bombing campaigns were becoming more widespread.  “We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be,” Prime Minister Winston Churchill urged his fellow countrymen. “We shall fight on the beaches, and we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

Though our leadership stakes are far different than Churchill’s, the notion of being resilient and never relenting inevitably appears in various aspects of our lives.  Leadership can be lonely.  It can feel like you get one problem solved and another pops up.  I know sometimes I feel strong in those challenges and other days I can feel defeated and want to give up.  But, you are that person in the organization that people look to for guidance.  You have influence and what we know from research is that people want a steady hand.  How do you do in this area?  Anything you need to improve?

Leadership Challenge:  Resilience isn’t just about getting through tough times; it’s about returning stronger and wiser.  Is there someone you can do a post-action debrief with and have an objective view of what you might do differently next time?  Are there strengths you need to leverage or your reactions that need to be managed?

3.  Aspire To Be Known As a Benevolent Leader.
During this trip to the UK, it struck me how important Queen Elizabeth was to this country.  She never wanted to be queen, but she gave her desired life of living with her horses and dogs in the country to serve Great Britain.  She knew her needs should be overshadowed by the subjects she was charged with loving and protecting.  There is an important message for leaders here. Be a benevolent leader.

Benevolent leaders stay above the fray.  They see the big picture.  They know what is happening around them and have grace for others.  They take very seriously the welfare of those in their charge.  They ask what it will take to create a better environment for themselves and those around them.  A benevolent leader is pragmatic, has a generosity of spirit, and always looks to create a sustainable future for all stakeholders.  I am constantly looking to improve this – I’m not there yet.  Dig deep…how are you doing?

Leadership Challenge: Listen to and observe those leaders that you find inspiring.  What is it that most resonate with you?  Choose one behavior they have and try it out in your leadership journey.  Remember, it is not a full makeover…just a small tweak that will make a  difference in your leadership, making an even bigger difference in your culture.

This week choose the one of these three that you know is a challenge for you and try out a few new behaviors…then let us know what kind of change it has made for you and your team.  Good luck and have a great week!