By Glenn Gutek
All leadership begins with “self-leadership.” Before any leader can aspire to lead a thriving enterprise, they must first master leading an organization of one.
A great trait of a leader is doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done. This involves responding appropriately to the right opportunities, while dismissing the less-relevant distractions. This manner of leading oneself with discipline and precision can be more advantageous than being a leader who merely hyper-reacts to random stimulus. The latter can be a great trait; however, it can also be challenging to sustain through time.
In order to accomplish what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, the leader engages in certain practices or disciplines to produce that result when required. Self-leadership employs intentional action in advance to ensure the right action happens when necessary.
Although some people are more naturally disciplined than others, those that struggle with being disciplined can create structures that promote greater “professional will.” To get started, consider the following five disciplines of self-leadership. Engaging in these practices will accelerate your effectiveness and prepare you to do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done.
Control Time
The most basic expression of self-discipline is controlling your time in such a way that you are focused on your “highest and best” use. The effectiveness of leaders is limited by allowing others to set too much of the agenda, making your time be spent on the trails of rabbits. There is a wealth of material available to assist with time management, so there is no need to reinvent the wheel. However, there are some practices you can intentionally engage in that will promote a greater ability to do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done:
• Time Blocking: Predetermine blocks of time allocated for your most important activities
• Landing the Plane: Do not allow meetings and conversations to extend beyond the appropriate time limit
• Time Cop: Give your assistant or colleague some authority to assist you in executing your calendar
• Power Sprints: Protect one-hour blocks of uninterrupted time to execute your most complex work
Fuel Energy
Leadership is an energy-intensive endeavor. One of the primary reasons for allowing unsolved problems to be swept under the carpet is the lack of energy of the leader. It is imperative to sustain the appropriate levels of energy to intercept entropy at its earliest stages.
The disciplines most commonly associated with fueling your energy often involve diet, exercise and sleep habits. Beyond these practices, build into your schedule opportunities to engage in things that put wind in your sails. What are the activities that energize you, and ignite your curiosity and passion? Below are some practices that you may want to be sure your calendar allows time to proactively pursue:
• Reading: Helps you think bigger thoughts
• Travel: Helps you see a bigger world
• Networking: Helps you learn from other businesses
Temper Emotions
So much business literature will reference the all important aspect of “passion.” There is no argument that passion is essential to effective leadership. Passion is the natural reservoir of energy that propels a leader forward in the face of adversity. However, at times, it is critical to practice the discipline of being “dispassionate.”
The discipline of being dispassionate allows a leader to protect the environment from becoming toxic, and engaging in the wrong battles. A leader should fuel their energy by investing in their passion, but keep things from running off the rails by not pouring gas on a volatile situation. Below are few techniques that you can practice in advance to promote appropriate dispassion:
• Ask Questions
• Define the problem
• Spend more time on solutions
• Take deep breaths before speaking
