When I was first promoted to VP, I was amazed by the immediate increase in my workload. My day-to-day task list wasn’t the problem, the challenge was managing the 92,000 things that came my way each day to weigh in or solve.
It was easy to understand why so many leaders were reactive instead of proactive. It was kind of like playing dodgeball all day, and the goal was survival. It’s not easy to let your leadership shine when you’re always in crank-it-out and get-it-done mode.
When you’re reactive, you move based on assumptions , best guesses, and prior experience. Your goal is to swat that ball away as fast as you can.
Even worse, when you’re fully booked and squeezing in issue after issue, you start to turn away from those areas that need you – team conflict, poor performance, and impossible workloads hoping that they’ll work themselves out.
Of course, you probably empower people to work things out before bringing every problem to you. Not to mention, I’m sure you give people your trust. Still, your cup runneth over. I get it.
Embrace your personal leadership to lead the situation towards a positive outcome.I’ve also seen leaders across the board yell and scream with frustration when provoked. This includes not only corporate leaders but also teachers, parents, administrators, customer service – you name it. (Ok, I admit, not only have I seen it, I’ve been there.) An immediate response is to fight back instead of mindfully taking a stand for who they want to be.
Reactionary or thoughtful.
Angry or level-headed.
Loving or spiteful.
Nasty or kind.
Don’t give in to a stressful moment, but instead lead yourself and others to a better place.Welcome the Leadership SHINE Method
The Leadership SHINE Method is so simple and effective I’ve not only taught it to executives but also fifth graders – honestly!
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Leadership SHINE Method Tips:
The Leadership SHINE Method is shockingly simple and remarkably high impact. Instead of getting back to things later, constant quick fixes, crossing your fingers or freaking out, you’ll create meaningful responses and resolutions.
See : You’re confronted, see an issue or an opportunity.
Halt : Stop. Don’t fall into your default response. You feel that reaction coming on… halt anyway.
Imagine : Consider possibilities and imagine the future . What will happen if this plays out with no intervention? What’s the best case of where this could take you? The worst? What if you go with your first reaction? Will that make things better and make you shine or do you need to cool off?
Next Steps : What will you do? This is where a lot of people stop. They know what the next step needs to be and they jot it down on their to-do list for later. In other cases, they put off identifying next steps because they’re not clear and never get back to it.
Execute : Do it! What’s that next step? Make a call. Walk away instead of yelling. Delegate. Whatever you identified as your next step, put it into action.
Consider putting a note on your desk with the SHINE acronym. Remind yourself that you want to shine. The Leadership SHINE Method not only helps you to get things done but also tells the world about who you are. I promise you, if you put it into action, it works.
Ask yourself: Who am I? What kind of a leader do I want to be?
Take a beat to let your best self lead the way forward. Let your leadership shine.What are your thoughts? How do you let your personal leadership shine?