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Leadership can be exhausting. To say 2020 was difficult is probably the minimization of the year. Nothing we thought was the plan at the start of the year came to fruition. Whether professionally or personally, we seemed to have had little to no control. We have felt every possible emotion, sometimes in the same day.
Bottom line, 2020 drained the batteries for many of us. And that’s a problem. If the leader isn’t winning, no one is. When your battery is charged as a leader, everyone is able to win. Whether they want to or not, the leader sets the tone for the team. If the leader isn’t running strong, no one else is either. When a leader is depleted and drained, the team begins to die.
But when the leader gets renewed and recharged, the team becomes cohesive, hard decisions are made confidently, conflicts are healthily resolved, and there’s an air of positivity and fun in the environment. What if that doesn’t describe the environment? Check the leader.
Are you consistently irritable? The way you treat your family in the morning and the way you respond to other drivers on the way to work can inform you of your level of exhaustion. The more refreshed you are, the more responsive you will be to the needs of others. When you are not responding in that manner and selfishness is creeping in, your battery is likely pretty low. When you begin to rationalize and justify questionable decisions that you normally would automatically reject, you are in the danger zone.
If you find these characteristics surfacing in your life and you realize you need renewal, how can you do that? Richard Leider, the Purpose Coach, gives us 10 significant ways we can recharge when we are running out of steam and power. He says, “Self-renewal is the choice, curiosity, and courage we bring to ensuring that our life is moving forward, with every age and life phase bringing us closer to becoming our authentic selves in the world. Becoming a leader demands that we take the time to probe the fearful and wonderful world within. That we identify our purpose and values beyond the self and stand for something…We cannot avoid the stuff of life, but we can change the way we respond to it.”
Here are those ten powerful ways to renew yourself:
Unpack your calendar. Make appointments with yourself. Don’t focus on filling time, focus on fulfilling time.
Uncover your gifts. Focus on allowing your gifts to flourish and take shape. The world loves talent, but pays off on personal character.
Unlock your purpose. Focus every day on your “Why?”. Purpose is a choice, an aim, and a practice.
Recall your calling. Gifts + Passions + Values = Calling. Heed your calling. Pay attention and DO IT. Don’t get derailed by other things.
Select your sounding board. Talk to some people you trust who are wise and will tell you the truth. Listen to them and weigh what they have to say. Reflective backtalk is essential.
Sharpen your learning edge. Focus on learning at a deeper level than most people. It’s what you learn after you know it all that matters.
Repack your relationship bags. Focus on your relationships. Take responsibility for who you are and what you do—blame NO ONE. Listen and then listen more.
Revision the “Good Life.” Focus on “living in the place you love, with the people you love, doing the work you love, on purpose!”
Pause once a day and listen to your inner self. Ignoring your inner self keeps you from becoming all you can be and multiplies stress. Listen and keep tabs on where you are and the direction you are headed. You are wiser than you think if you slow down and focus.
Renew yourself. Focus on being interested, not interesting. Remain curious and focused on discovering new things.
You determine the direction of your team, and much of it is subconscious. Keep tabs on the state of your mental health and fatigue. You set your environment by your own state of health.