“Don’t just stand there! Do something!” We’ve all heard this or said this to someone at some time in our lives. It’s a sign of our need to “do.” We have a preference for action. As a species we are homo completus. We like to get stuff done, tick, the box. We are doers. This provides us a sense of accomplishment. As leaders this can be a double-edged sword. We need to get things done. We have to drive the business forward. And, leadership is not all “get er done.”
We need to pay as much attention to who we are as what we do. We could stand a bit more homo reflectus energy. We could all benefit from being a bit more reflective and intentional when it comes to how we are living and how we are leading. Imagine if instead of leading by default, we gave some thought each day to what it would look like for us to lead ‘by design.’
Everything, including our lives, produces what it is designed to. What have you designed this year? Is your design now a default? Does what used to work for you no longer ‘get er done.’?
As the year winds down I normally give the leaders I coach some questions to spark their reflection on the year past. This year there are only two.
What have you done this year that you are proud of?
What have you done this year that you’re not so proud of?
“Don’t just do something! Stand (or sit) there.” And consider those questions for a while. I’ll check back soon with a couple more questions to get you thinking about next year, about leading (and living) ‘by design.’