From Vision to Tactics

From Vision to Tactics

I’ve been really curious about how leaders are able to stay focused with so many things popping up on their radar at the moment.  From conversations with leaders I’m hearing that leaders are:

• having to do more with reduced or limited resources

• managing virtual or remote local or global teams spanning multiple generations

• managing the transition of being in and out of lockdowns due to the pandemic

And all of this is in an incredibly volatile economy.

I’m finding a lot of leaders are looking for ways to keep focused on the things that really matter and cut out the noise.  This has not just become a current challenge with the pandemic but has been a gradual issue as our work week has become extended with 24/7 access via technology and the constant need to juggle our teams, some of which come with time differences due to location or different hours of work.

What all the above are contributing to for leaders is often labeled as burnout, stress, and overwhelm.  Sometimes there’s a little dollop of self-doubt in there too because there is this feeling of not be able to see the wood for the trees.  And, when we are feeling like this, time seems to be ticking along at a faster rate than usual, which then loops around and exacerbates the situation.  This is kind of crazy when you think about it because time is the same for everyone!  But how we are feeling can distort our reality of time and make us feel a little more under the pump.

What leaders need is something to help them move from feeling like they are just surviving and move through to thriving and achieving the results that they and their organisation want and need to achieve.

So, here’s how I think you get there, from feelings of overwhelm to being ecstatic and achieving the results you want.

1. Clarity

We need to gain clarity on how we are playing our ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ leadership games.  Let’s put some context around those terms: It’s always best to get clear on how a leader is playing their ‘inner game’ and this is where I would start. Investing in a quality Leadership Assessment to help unpack this information is money well spent.  The reason this is incredibly valuable is the way we have been doing our leadership to date is what has got us to where we are.  If we want to get to a different place or achieve a different result, we need to understand what we are currently doing that serves us and what we are doing that will derail us.  One of the key challenges for us when we are so proficient at doing something – and we are certainly proficient at how we currently do our leadership from a behavioural perspective – is that we do a lot of stuff unconsciously.  These are the well-formed habits that we have developed over time.  In order to learn new ways of doing things, we have to be conscious, and going through a Leadership Assessment will help us do that.

The second area we need to gain clarity on is what does our outer game look like. Our outer game refers to the external part of our leadership.  How we articulate and live our personal and the organisation’s vision, mission, and values.  Do we have clarity on what our unique contribution is (I call this our awesome sauce) and how that helps us move forward?  What are our top initiatives and how are we measuring them?  How do we interact with the people around us and how do I need to keep developing myself as a leader to get where I want to be?

2.  Focus

The next step is about creating a focus on the things that matter and will move us forward.  What are the priorities for now and what is just ‘noise’ that we have allowed to creep in and occupy too much of our time?  I use my Leaders Dashboard to help a leader focus on the eight key areas every leader should have in their sights to move forward.

3.  Action

The final step is to take consistent action. The important thing here is to take consistent action on the things that matter.  Brian Tracy said, “A goal without a plan is only a dream”.  We need to be deliberate with our goals and ensure they are focused on the right things.

As Henry Ford said, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten”.  We need to decide, with intent, that we are committed to what we want to achieve and that we are willing to invest our time, money, and effort into achieving that thing – that is what it is going to take, otherwise, we would already be there!

So, if you are interested in learning about my Leaders Dashboard and being the leader who hits the mark every time, then we should chat.

Lead with impact,