Image credit: Randen Pederson
Uncertain Times Call For Heart-Centered Leadership
Wow! Happy New Year… Really, Happy New Year!
If you’re like most leaders, transitioning into a new year represents a time for renewal, recommitment, and inspiring action with your team. It marks the time when new strategies are formulated, goals are created, and generally a new, refreshing energy washes over your organization.
And in this new year, the sentiment seems to be even greater. Launching into a brand new year, 2017, seems to be particularly poignant for most people that I’ve spoken with.
So what was it about 2016 that had made many people so eager to leave it behind, and what does it all mean for your ability to lead in 2017?
The hallmark words that I’ve heard when many people describe what 2016 represented for them have been feelings such as:
Challenging — Difficult — Confusing — Frightening — Stressful — some even say, Painful.
And the list goes on.
Of course there were some positive highlights as well, but, the overarching theme leaving 2016 and entering 2017 is: Uncertainty!
So, how can you lead during times of great uncertainty? What can you focus on that will allow you to lift above the ambiguity and stressors that often accompany uncertainty, and give yourself the tools to provide inspiring and regenerative leadership?
Here are a few leadership tools you can leverage and begin applying right away:
- Powerful Team Leadership: Check out the HeartMath Institute and their heart-centered leadership programs. The HeartMath Institute has pioneered the science of heart-centered living and heart centered leadership. Their incredibly simple, research-backed methods deliver a powerful punch when it comes time to live and lead boldly in uncertain times. Here are a few of the leadership advantages that you’ll gain to bring to your most critical relationships:
- Recognize subtle stress signals before they become chronic issues
- Learn powerful techniques to boost performance, resilience and quality
- Use practical intuition to effectively manage change without overwhelm
- Be less reactive, think clearly and make good decisions under pressure
- Powerful Self Understanding: Make the time to explore deep self learning and development programs for you and your team such as the Landmark Forum. There is no refuting the powerful impact that the Landmark-based programs delivered by Vanto Group has had on reducing the everyday stressors and cultural disruptors that exist in many companies today. Organizations such as Apple, NASA, Unum, SAP and many others have uncovered the very positive impact that clear communication, authenticity, and integrity bring to creating powerful leadership, an optimized team culture, and a rewarding business model.
- Read, Learn, Read More, Learn More: Did you know that there are more than 300,000 new books and new editions published every year in the United States? In that sea of growing knowledge and perspectives, how can you possibly keep up with the latest thinking and best practices? Take advantage of resources that aggregate content, distill these books into highly consumable formats (MP3, YouTube, CliffsNotes, etc.), and deliver content directly to your virtual doorstep every-single day.
- Check out what Brian Johnson and the Optimize team at Entheos are doing to bridge this gap for leaders just like you and me. Imagine having instant access to:
- 400+ cliff notes (affectionately called “Philosopher’s Notes”) on all of the best books on leadership, plus 10 new notes every month. And, the notes take 5 minutes or less to read.
- Optimal Living (aka Leadership) 101 classes (typically 15-20 minutes in length,
- 200+ micro classes,
- 50+ Optimal Living micro classes, and
- With a library of content that continues to grow and for you to access and share with your team
- Check out what Brian Johnson and the Optimize team at Entheos are doing to bridge this gap for leaders just like you and me. Imagine having instant access to:
- Chart a Course and Go For It! Science has shown us that the one primary state that humans generally seek is a state of certainty – to make sense of the world around us; to ensure safety and predictability. In a time of growing uncertainty in the world, your team will often look to you to provide them with a sense of stability and clarity. As a leader, you have access to a powerful tool to create that for them… the Strategic Plan toolset. A well written plan for your team, complete with actionable goals for the next 6-12-18 months can quickly be put into place (within a matter of a few short stints), and it’s one of the most powerful things that you can do to bring stability and a degree of certainty to your team – regardless of the size of the group. Here are the fundamental steps to draw your plan and the approximate time you should anticipate with our toolset and coaching:
- Craft a Vision and a Mission (1.5 to 2 hours)
- Outline your Unique Value to your clients (1.5 hours)
- Get clear on your Core Values (2 hours)
- Set your Key Initiatives and Intentions (4 to 5 hours)
- Layout the goals, KPIs, and milestones for the next 6-12 months (3 to 4 hours)
- Enrol your team, gain alignment, and presto! You have now brought certainty into their daily activities and your team will thank you for doing so. (2 to 3 hours)
So, without a doubt, uncertainty is the context that you’re leading in as you enter 2017, and it’s a pretty safe bet that things will get even more uncertain before they settle down.
However, you now have several paths that you can embark upon to bring clarity, focus, alignment, purpose, and engagement to your team!
I encourage you to start out now with at least one of the above suggestions.
Then add another by the end of February, and give yourself a goal to introduce all four tools by the end of the 1st half of 2017.
Your team will thank you and you will be well positioned to thrive as a leader throughout 2017 and beyond!
I look forward to hearing about your journey and other tools that you’ve discovered along your leadership journey. So, drop me a note at dianna@pendolinogroup.com anytime and let me know how you’re doing.
Recommended reading: Heart Centered Leadership by Susan Steinbrecher.
Leave a Comment