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Judy Cirullo

TOP 3 POST-PANDEMIC FEARS LEADERS FACE AND HOW TO MINIMIZE THEM

August 13, 2020 by Judy Cirullo

Uncertainty breeds fear. And business leaders in the wake of a pandemic face plenty of uncertainty. Three recurring fears leaders face, while not exclusively caused by COVID are certainly heightened by it.  

THE TRUTH ABOUT FEAR

When you break down what fear is, you’ll see it’s simply the anticipation of a negative outcome.

Simply put, fear is a projection of what can go wrong. It’s future casting gone horribly wrong. 

While it’s a smart practice to prepare for outcomes that are the opposite of what you project, expecting negative outcomes 100% of the time isn’t a healthy way for you to do it.

Because in a fear state, you stunt your ability to grow and evolve as a business, let alone function in a way that supports your survival.

Fear causes you as a leader to hesitate. It leads you to be tentative and operate with extreme caution. Essentially, it’s a distraction from your forward momentum. 

These are the three fears leaders face most often as they’ve returned to “business as usual” in a most unusual post-pandemic work environment.  

HOW WILL THIS BUSINESS SURVIVE? 

The uncertainty you’re trying to sort out here is two-fold. 

First, will you have something to offer to your usual customers or clients that they consider a necessity and are thus willing to pay for it?

The second consideration is if the economy will continue to support your usual prices based on your customers’ discretionary cash flow. 

When times of recession hit, there’s often a race to the bottom in pricing to capture the little money that’s out in circulation. The question now becomes, is it financially feasible for your company to take a short-term loss to keep customers coming through your doors?

To combat this fear, calculate your average client value. If you see a drop in sales, consider offering your product or service for a set period of time at a lower rate as an incentive to get your loyal customers back through your doors.

Alternatively, consider how you can add value and overdeliver on a product or service sale in a way that requires you to invest a little extra time in lieu of capital.  

HOW WILL I RETAIN TOP EMPLOYEES?

Provided you’re still in a position to charge your usual and customary fees for your product or service, this becomes less of a concern.

However, if you have to make tough choices on who you can afford to keep and who you’ll have to furlough due to a slow down in sales, this becomes your biggest fear.

Without customers, you have no business.  But, without the best of the best on your team serving your customers, you’ll lose business.

Bear in mind that due to other businesses closing, there are a plethora of highly skilled and qualified people who are looking for work. In the event you lose a key team member, you may be able to find a suitable replacement for a lesser cost.

HOW WILL I MEET THE GOALS PLACED UPON ME AS A LEADER? 

Suffice it to say for the year 2020, many projections, sales goals, and growth and scale activities are on the sidelines.

That said, many businesses have successfully made big pivots and find themselves in a better position for growth than before.

As a leader, the best thing you can do to overcome this fear is to remain agile, flexible, and ahead of the curve. Think like an innovator. Remain solution-oriented instead of problem-focused. 

When the tide turns, turn with it.

MINIMIZE POST-PANDEMIC FEARS AND THRIVE

To ride the wave of common post-pandemic fears in your business requires reframing.

First, understand fear is a future-based assumption that your business is headed for defeat. Think about how to flip that thought into what you can do to make your business more agile.   

Your business can survive if you nurture your relationships with your customers and your team. Build goodwill. Work with both groups to deliver the wins they need so you can stay afloat.

And most importantly as a leader, focus on the present moment. Exercise good judgment and take action on the things within your control to stay on track. Pivot when necessary, and remain open to what is possible. 

Schedule a free strategy session with me if you or your team could use some help in the reframing department.

Filed Under: Executive leadership coaching Tagged With: business development, business strategy in crisis, eadership development, leadership fear, leadership strategy, post-pandemic business strategy, team development

HOW TO USE THE EMOTIONAL CYCLE OF CHANGE TO END SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME AND SHUT DOWN OVERWHELM

August 5, 2020 by Judy Cirullo

Even at your best as a leader, at times you struggle with overwhelm. Instead of grabbing the next shiny object to help solve a problem that’s plagued you, tap into the power of the emotional cycle of change.

SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME IS A SELF-PERPETUATED CYCLE

Change can be as easy or as difficult as you make it.

Yes, you are responsible for your experience as you move from one state of being to another.

And truthfully, the cycle of shiny object syndrome (SOS) is one of the most difficult patterns to escape.

Always looking for the next solution because the one you are in active pursuit of hasn’t worked yet is a symptom of something much deeper than lack of stick-to-it-ive-ness.

It’s actually about the valley of despair. 

THE EMOTIONAL CYCLE OF CHANGE

Don Kelley and Daryl Conner defined the human cycle of change in relation to emotions over time. They first published their work in the 1979 Annual Handbook For Group Facilitators. 

Essentially, there are five stages of change people go through to reach success. They are:

  • Uninformed Optimism
  • Informed Pessimism
  • Valley of Despair
  • Informed Optimism
  • Completion (also known as Success, Fulfillment, or Breakthrough)

And each stage corresponds to a specified time during the change cycle.

EMOTIONAL CHANGE CYCLE AND THE INVERTED BELL CURVE

Even if math isn’t a natural talent for you, certainly you’ve heard of the bell curve. It starts at the intersection of the X-axis (horizontal) and the Y-axis (vertical) of a standard two-dimensional graph.

The line goes up vertically and to the right horizontally then back down and to the right to form the shape of a bell. It’s the standard most schools use to assign student grades depending on what area of the curve they fall into.

The emotional change cycle is shaped the same way, just upside down.

So, the “change” starting point is high on the Y-axis, which is defined as feelings at time zero, with time being the X-axis.

POINTS ON THE CURVE

That first point on the change cycle is called uninformed optimism. In the beginning, everything seems possible to you. You have high conviction that you’ll make it to the change goal you set.  

You’ve done your research. You’re inspired to act. Nothing is going to stand in your way.

Then, as you progress a little to the right, or spend some time working on the change, your feelings drop down a bit. 

Some of the steps you’re taking aren’t as easy as you first thought. You lose a little momentum because the challenges are now making themselves known to you. This point on the curve is informed pessimism.

Keep traveling to the right, spending more time working towards your goal, and feelings fall substantially. At this point, you’re at the bottom of the inverted bell curve. This is called the valley of despair. 

If you’re really struggling, this point will land on the X-axis, meaning you have nothing but pessimistic thoughts as you consider working through to the end to achieve the change you’re seeking.

Everything is difficult, an extreme challenge. You may feel anxious, depressed –  as if it’s just not worth it to continue.

And this is the point where SOS kicks in for you if you’re caught in the gravitational pull of its cycle. More on that in a second…

Should you make it out of the valley of despair with a little more time spent, when you start to see results, you’ll climb up the Y-axis again to learned optimism. 

This is when you see the light at the end of the tunnel as you close in on your final point on the curve, completion.

THAT UNMAGIC MOMENT ISN’T WHAT YOU THINK

In the valley of despair, you have two choices. Persist or quit.

At this point, your inner critic is busily chastising you for making the decision to pursue this solution. You beat yourself up, decide you don’t know how to make it through and walk away.

When you quit, as any dedicated leader does, you brush yourself off and pursue another solution.

Once you find one you’re excited enough to take action on, you leap into the abyss again. Repeating the same cycle down from uninformed optimism, to learned pessimism, to the valley of despair.

Quit again, and, as you can see, the cycle repeats on autoloop.

Full-on SOS is not so much about a lack of attention or capability. It’s more about giving up too soon, generally right before the big breakthrough moment that will get you climbing back up the curve to learned optimism. 

It’s not an argument of “too hard.” It’s an argument of “too soon.” 

CUTTING THE CORD ON THE SOS CYCLE

Clearly you can see how the “quitters never prosper” comes into play here. How this endless loop of giving up before the breakthrough keeps you stuck in overwhelm and extreme frustration.

So, how do you end the cycle and leave SOS in your rearview mirror for good?

These three tips will help…

First, be aware of how the emotional cycle of change affects every goal, solution, or transformation you go in pursuit of.

With awareness, once you hit the deep dark night of the valley of despair, you can recognize it is the temporary scenario you find yourself in. Keep taking the small steps forward and you will emerge over time. 

This leads to the second critical point for you to understand.

While you may have a timeline in your head about how soon you should expect to receive results, remember, that’s a judgment you’re making based on your filters and previous experiences.

If this is a solution that’s new to you, leave your “shoulds” out of it and respect the pace it takes. Just understand if you quit because it’s “too hard” to go looking for another option, you’ll be back into despair soon enough.

Finally, to keep the valley of despair from getting so low on the feelings scale that quitting feels like the only choice to keep you sane, find someone to help you shortcut your change.

In other words, find a mentor or coach who can support you and hold you accountable at the times when change feels the hardest. Someone who is intimately familiar with the challenges you’re facing and has an effective solution to deliver the outcome you’re after.

YOU MADE IT TO COMPLETION…NOW WHAT?

While you undoubtedly feel a sense of accomplishment, if you don’t stay aware, you may fall back into the SOS habit.

Because once you complete a goal, another layer of the change you seek that’s related to the goal you just reach will likely show itself.

Let it come. Go for further elevation or improvement.

Just don’t let it lull you into the belief that you’re fine where you are once you hit the valley of despair again in pursuit of the “next level” you’re after.

TO GET OUT, GO THROUGH THE EMOTIONAL CYCLE OF CHANGE

To stop SOS in its tracks, the only way out is awareness and forging ahead when it feels so much easier to just pivot.

Pivoting only makes sense if you reach a dead-end on the way to your destination. It’s not the choice that will end overwhelm if you continue to choose pivots over progress.

If you find yourself at a point of too many pivots with too little progress and too much stress, schedule a free strategy session with me to get some clarity on how to stay the course

Filed Under: Executive leadership coaching Tagged With: change, change cycle, change overwhelm, completion, informed optimism, informed pessimism, self-defeating behaviors, shiny object syndrome, success barriers, uninformed optimism, valley of despair

WHAT APATHY IN LEADERSHIP LOOKS LIKE

July 29, 2020 by Judy Cirullo

Dictatorial and power-hungry people in charge don’t make the worst leaders, surprisingly enough. But when apathy in leadership shows its face inside your business, you’ve got a major hill to climb.

NOBODY KNOWS WHERE THEY STAND

Maybe it’s something that’s flown under your radar for some time. You’re not experiencing much disagreement or pushback from your team.

But you have this sense that they’re not functioning at anywhere close to the capacity you believe they’re capable of.

This is one of the best clues that your team is under the direction of an apathetic leader. Whether that’s you or someone else you’ve designated the job to.

Things that matter aren’t getting done in a timely fashion. There’s a sense that your team members aren’t feeling truly heard or understood.

Yet empty praise gets delivered to the underperforming team because your leader is “out of touch” with what’s really happening with the team’s performance.

OTHER KEY INDICATORS OF AN APATHETIC LEADER IN CHARGE

As it turns out, team members would rather have a “boss” who was power-hungry or who micromanaged them than someone who acted like they didn’t exist at all.

Of course, that’s the extreme of apathy…Not acknowledging much of anything or anyone else with a relevant and reasonable response. But it’s a cancer that can and will surely take over your entire staff.

That is if they stay long enough at their post.

All other relevant factors considered, like skill suitability for the job, high turnover is a key indicator your leader is apathetic.

That is if they stay long enough at their post.

Lack of open conversations, signs of distrust, high absentee rates, poor decision-making, and increased stress levels are other potential side effects.  

DEEPER REPERCUSSIONS OF APATHY IN YOUR WORKPLACE

Indifference is a way of being towards others that makes nearly every human retreat. 

Sensing a lack of energy, concern, excitement, or passion from a leader instills in your team that they don’t matter. What they want, how they think, what they feel isn’t important.

As your greatest asset, your team needs to feel connected, relevant, and absolutely necessary to the success of your business. If they don’t, you’ll very soon be filling vacancies.

ENERGY LEVELS AND APATHY IN LEADERSHIP

More often than not, a leader who is apathetic is operating at a Level 3 on the seven levels of energy scale. And that leaves your team operating at Level 1. Both of these levels are catabolic in nature.

Essentially, at Level 3, the leader feels as if everything is fine. They rationalize. Coping with the day to day is where they’re vibrating at. This essentially means they’re not leading with intention and appear to have “checked out” on what’s really going on with their team and in the business.

At Level 1 energy, the team members feel stuck. Like they can’t have or do what they choose. They’re operating at a level of fear and feel directionless. Operating at this level long enough causes analysis paralysis, lack of action, and problem-focused victimhood.

Without an engaged leader to steer the ship, it’s an understatement to say it’s so far off course it may never get headed back to the destination.

CORE DYNAMICS AT PLAY WITH AN APATHETIC LEADER

The good folks at iPEC created a coaching certification known as COR.E Dynamics which allows for a specialization in the area of Leadership.

As a certified graduate of the program who coaches clients on leadership, when I see this problem present, I ask my clients questions surrounding two specific dynamics.

The first is the Awareness core dynamic. And the second is Acceptance.

THE AWARENESS CORE DYNAMIC

To explore awareness, I ask not only about self-awareness but also about the awareness my client has of the others they’re charged with leading.

How aware they are of how they show up as a leader. Awareness of their environment and surroundings.

Most times they get a quick sense of how much of their daily responses are based on automatic behavior. Going through the motions doing what is habitual. Like being on autopilot when you brush your teeth or drive your car.

And, if that’s how you’re living your days, it’s a quick realization that how your team is showing up is a direct reflection of interacting with your disengaged, automatic behavior.

THE ACCEPTANCE CORE DYNAMIC

Once you have awareness, you can move onto a better understanding of why it is you behave, act, or respond as you do.

You get to clear a path and unravel how your past experiences have shaped you into what you stand for and what matters most to you

Instead of being reactionary about life happening to you, there gets to be an acceptance of the part you play in creating the life you have…As well as the one you want.

Working through self-acceptance allows you to accept that the past is gone, to focus on the present, and to reframe or shift your energy from a catabolic level 3 into the higher anabolic levels.

IS APATHY AT PLAY IN YOUR WORKPLACE?

To know this, take a quick look at the following criteria. 

If you can answer yes to witnessing two or more of these conditions, you’ve caught it early enough to affect real change with Core Dynamics Leadership coaching. 

  • Boredom
  • Feeling insecure about tenure in a job
  • Micromanagement
  • Minimal progress
  • Poor performance goes unchecked
  • Team members are unpleasant
  • Lack of communication
  • Team feels no confidence for the leader in charge

CORE DYNAMICS AT PLAY WITH AN APATHETIC LEADER

Ultimately, choosing or being the “right” leader in charge is the ideal way to run your business.

However, nobody is immune to making an underperforming choice or becoming stale on the vine.

Energy has a way of fluctuating from a catabolic to an anabolic state naturally for anyone. Leaders aren’t immune to this truth.

The best course of action you can take is choosing instead to have awareness, acceptance, and getting the assistance you need to reframe your way of thinking about your leadership role.

Treated early enough, dramatic shifts in your team and your workplace can follow closely behind when you choose leadership development to squash apathy. Schedule a free strategy session with me to learn how.

Filed Under: Executive leadership coaching Tagged With: anabolic energy, catabolic energy, core dynamics, core energy coaching, leadership coaching, leadership development, team culture, the seven levels of energy

3 ESSENTIALISM STEPS TO HELP LEADERS FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS

July 22, 2020 by Judy Cirullo

EVEN IF TIME REGULARLY ESCAPES YOU

What if I told you that in order to do more as a leader, you need to do so much less? This is not just about delegation. It’s about adopting essentialism steps you need to get the right things done.

While you’ve likely heard pieces of this advice on how to focus before, author Greg McKeown has a way of weaving it all together in a way that makes sense. 

If this article grabs your attention, dive deeper inside his book on the topic here.   

FIRST, A WORD OF CAUTION

“Yes” men and woman, you’re going to find this process a little disturbing.

While there are many reasons you’re likely not setting boundaries against non-essential things on your to-do lists, if you want to adopt essentialism, you’re going to need to start.

So, if you can cast aside your need to be “liked,” your sense of “value” being linked to getting everything done, and your drive to become “irreplaceable,” essentialism gets to become so much easier.

Without further ado, here’s where you need to place your focus if you want to shore up your time and mental bandwidth to produce the best possible outcomes.

STEP 1 – EXPLORE AND EVALUATE 

This step takes time. 

Purposeful time. 

Deliberate time.

Think about it like this…

If you’re only going to engage your time and energy into the things that are going to move the biggest levers for you, it’s going to take a dedicated effort to know which “things” fit those categories.

Because once you spend the time figuring out what matters most, you’re going to fully commit to them.

So much so that if something comes up for you “to do” that isn’t on the shortlist, you’re automatic response gets to be no. And it’s a no because it doesn’t fit your definition of the highest and best use of your time or skills. 

This step is as much about giving yourself permission to do less as it is digging out why you feel so compelled to say yes to everything in the first place. 

STEP 2 – ELIMINATE

If Step 1 was hard for you as a people-pleasing, doer-of-everything, this step is going to be even more difficult…

You’ve done the thinking. You know what you’re fully committing to going forward.

Now, it’s time to get out that great big laundry basket and sort your brights from your whites.

Yes, it’s time to start thinking in terms of what “fits” the category of “will” and “won’t” when it comes to reaching the goals you set.

And, you’ll have some hard decisions to make. Because you won’t want to hurt anyone else’s feelings or let other people down. But, here’s the reframe in all that.

If you don’t decide how you allocate your time, someone else will fill up your calendar for you with their own agenda. Doesn’t it feel much more empowering to create your own instead?

This step will make you painfully aware that you are not superhuman. You only have so many waking hours in your day. Choose those things that are “essential” to feeling your best and fulfilling your purpose.

The rest can fill up someone else’s calendar.

STEP 3 – EXECUTE

This is the step that the project and operations managers in the crowd actually love. But in truth, everyone should enjoy this part.

If you’ve done the work in steps 1 and 2, you’ve basically cleared your “to do” list of all the things that feel like distractions and marginal to your “big lever” goals.

Now, instead of the “barrel through it” mentality, you’ll have the time and space to get more done. Found time on your calendar from only doing what’s essential to you makes this your new reality.

Piles of things that are partially complete will disappear. As will the stress you feel being under the gun to deliver loads of projects over the finish line all at the same time.

You’ll likely feel much more joy in your day to day “doing” because of it. And, even if you’re not prone to checklists or systems, you’ll end up developing a process for each of the projects you are working on. Ultimately, it’s because you’ve made space mentally to figure out the logical path to completion.

MAKING THESE ESSENTIALISM STEPS YOUR NEW NORMAL

It all seems good on paper, right? Essentialist thinking doesn’t have to live in your “nice in theory” bucket though.

All it takes for you to win back your time and your focus is following the three “E” steps.

  • Explore and evaluate  
  • Eliminate
  • Execute

Choose to do that, and you’ll spend far less time getting more done. And if you could use some help in any of these three stages, schedule a free strategy session with me to get into action. 

Filed Under: Executive leadership coaching Tagged With: essentialism, essentialist, essentialist mindset, focus, focused leadership, leadership focus, leadership skillset, project management, time management

HOW TO TEND TO THE INTANGIBLES AS A LEADER

July 16, 2020 by Judy Cirullo

Until you tend to the intangibles your team is wrestling with, being able to open back up for business won’t be your biggest hurdle post-COVID.  

Doing that requires intention and attention to the energy you feel coming from your team members.

Because oftentimes, what they’re secretly worried about is nothing they’ll express out loud.

THE ENERGY OF FEAR 

Your doors are open. Customers are returning slowly but surely.

But your staff is waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop. The resurgence of cases of the virus may cause another shut-down of non-essential businesses.

Until you address the uncertainty of what “could” happen and the insecurity of having a business to return to work at, fear can and will overtake your group.

Here’s a very specific and simple method you can use to move your team out of fear mode.

A NEW NORMAL 

Although their businesses are slowly opening up, the impact of this pandemic lingers and continues to create havoc. Many are asking, ” what will the new normal look like?” 

MANAGING THE TANGIBLES

As essential businesses, healthcare leaders and their teams navigate, adjust, and craft their plan for the obvious factors. 

Patient volume, revenue streams, and a shift in staffing needs and availability are all on the radar.

Yet, the theme that continues to surface as this pandemic fluctuates daily is the uncertainty, ambiguity, insecurity, and at times fear creating an undercurrent.

An undercurrent that is intangible, but very real. It is creating another level of stress and frustration.   

A SHIFT TO INTANGIBLES MANAGEMENT

As a healthcare owner and leader, you’re accustomed to shifting and adjusting to changes in patient volume, referral sources, reimbursement, and the like.

But you’re less comfortable with the intangible needs of your staff. 

Needs that may not be shared but just demonstrated or felt… 

Signs and symptoms of insecurity, uncertainty, fear,  and other emotions. 

You start asking, 

“How do I help them understand, feel safe, and reduce their anxiety about the challenges we are all faced with?” 

IT STARTS WITH UNDERSTANDING 

First, you need to understand that they are your most important asset. 

Second, fear, uncertainty, reservedness, and hesitation left unaddressed will quickly lead to distrust. 

You may say, “We worked this out and have moved beyond these signs and symptoms,” but I think you all now know the truth.

This virus is continuing to create havoc and trigger signs and symptoms in different ways. 

And third, this is your opportunity, as a leader, to shift this undercurrent, into positive, forward-thinking behavior. 

FORWARD THINKING TO FUTURE-PACE YOUR BUSINESS 

Here is how to be that forward thinker.

You as a leader must be open, vulnerable, and acknowledge your staff’s feelings frequently. 

Create an open dialogue where you are engaging, sharing perceptions, stories, and solutions. 

This intangible undercurrent will shift to openness, collaboration,  innovation, and a fabulous culture that will carry you, your team, and your business forward. 

CONNECTION AS IT’S MEANT TO BE

Remember, this is a beautiful opportunity for you to enhance your leadership skills while creating the culture you want, need, and value. 

It is a simple approach.. go forth and jump in, you’ll like the result.

TEND TO INTANGIBLES TO BUILD STRONG TEAMS

COVID isn’t the biggest problem your business faces if you have no team to help you stay in business.

When you make the choice to lead with vulnerability and tend to intangibles your team members are facing, you create an environment of trust.

If identifying the undercurrent your team is feeling so you can address it is a struggle, let’s hop on a free call to talk about it.

You’ll leave our session with a clear set of action steps to take in order to manage your team’s intangibles. 

Filed Under: Executive leadership coaching Tagged With: core leadership, leadership mindset, staff development, team culture, team development

3 WAYS TO EMPOWER YOUR TEAM AND RELIEVE YOUR OVERWHELM

July 8, 2020 by Judy Cirullo

You’re a leader. You take initiative. You’ve got a handle on how to get things done. And you’re exhausted. The good news is…It’s fixable. Relieve your leadership fatigue once you empower your team.

High-achievers already know they can accomplish most anything they set their minds and hearts to do. What they also know is there is a limit to their capacity at any given time.

Consider these three ways to empower your team a great starting trifecta if you struggle in the “getting it all done” department. 

MAKE YOUR CONVERSATIONS MATTER

Is there a time and place for idle chit-chat? Of course. It’s a social practice that helps you break the ice when you need to.

However, if small talk is the only talk you’re having in your office, you’re falling short. 

If you’ve done a great job of positioning your company’s mission and your team member’s roles in making it happen, you’ve got to have the deeper conversations.

It’s time to talk about benchmarks. Your team member’s feelings of contribution, value, and performance. And doing it openly.

Be transparent, authentic, and honest when you engage your team members in these one-to-one conversations. When you are, you’ll foster a culture of trust, vulnerability, and kindness.

The even bigger win is you’ll inspire each team member to grow and evolve in the role they’re in so that you can all rise together as a team. Everyone “mans” the oars. 

Empowerment high, overwhelm low. Not a bad place to be.

TEACH, DON’T OVERREACH 

You did a meticulous job hiring each and every member of your team to fulfill a specific role, correct?

If that’s the case, you recognize they each have a particular skill set well suited for the tasks you’ve put them in charge of completing.

So, when they have a problem they’re working through, perhaps something you know how to solve, what’s your natural response when they come to you seeking it?

If it’s to tell them the answer, you may want to reconsider. Here’s why…

Remember, if you give a man a fish he only eats for a day. Teach that “man” to fish and he’s going to solve those problems for life. In other words, you’re instilling a habit of critical thinking and independence in your team member.

How you teach is by asking the right questions. Especially if you’ve got a solution that’s proven to work. You just need to ask your team member the questions to guide them to the answers that allow them to “solve” the problem.

All the while, they will gain confidence in their ability to problem-solve, and you’ve helped them arrive at a solution you know is suitable. 

Win one, you empower your team. Win two, you relieve your overwhelm of having to do it all yourself. 

DELEGATE, DON’T DEBATE

Consider this a sub-set of tip 2.

You’ve got all the right team members in all the right roles. Check!

Your systems and processes to get tasks done are clearly defined and documented. Check!

Now, you’ve handed off all those tasks to the appropriate people on your team. They’re officially off your plate and you get to focus on driving the mission and vision of your business.

So, do it. Don’t meddle. Don’t micromanage. 

Fall victim to making sure everything you’ve handed off is “perfect” and done exactly as you would do it and you’ve failed. 

If it’s sufficient to meet the definition of done, be grateful that it’s done and you didn’t have to do it yourself. You are paying your team to get things done for you after all. Allow them to. 

Over time, they will likely modify the processes because they’ve become more efficient at completing the task than you were anyway. It’s in their wheelhouse. They’re doing it day in and day out. Not you. 

Welcome and respect the adjustments they make to your processes, so long as they are completing their tasks properly and on time. 

When you release your attachment to doing everything your way, you let go of overwhelm and empower your team members to contribute with their unique skill sets.  

BECOME A HIGH ACHIEVER WITH THESE THREE WAYS TO EMPOWER YOUR TEAM

There you have it. The three best ways to reduce your leadership fatigue and empower your team are:

  • Meaningful conversations
  • Coaching for development 
  • Delegation without attachment 

Yes, all three of these are natural ways of being for high achievers. But I also believe these are all ways of being that you can learn if you want to be a better leader. 

Reach out and schedule a free strategy session with me to find out how to integrate them into your daily routine. 

Filed Under: Team Development Tagged With: team assets, team coaching, team development, team empowerment, team leaders, team leadership

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About Judy

Judy

Recent Posts

  • TOP 3 POST-PANDEMIC FEARS LEADERS FACE AND HOW TO MINIMIZE THEM
  • HOW TO USE THE EMOTIONAL CYCLE OF CHANGE TO END SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME AND SHUT DOWN OVERWHELM
  • WHAT APATHY IN LEADERSHIP LOOKS LIKE
  • 3 ESSENTIALISM STEPS TO HELP LEADERS FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS
  • HOW TO TEND TO THE INTANGIBLES AS A LEADER

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