Enhance Success by Stopping 12 Behaviors
Success may be as simple as stopping something that’s sabotaging progress.
Keep doing all the great stuff you already do. Stop shooting yourself in the foot.
Success may be found in doing less not more.
Do less of what holds you back.
Stop:
- Stop giving your best energy to fixing stuff that’s broken. Focus on opportunity.
- Stop talking about anything you don’t plan to do something about. Refuse to run meetings where talking-do-nothings win the day. Start stepping up. If you can’t step up, step out. Let others waste their lives talking. Don’t waste your time.
- Stop spending so much time with naysayers, mud slingers, and complainers. Pour yourself into people who want to grow. If all you do is pull foot draggers forward, cut the rope and move forward without them.
- Stop convincing people who don’t share your values to join your cause. Start talking about purpose and values. Watch who lights up.
- Stop looking back so much. Start turning to your future.
- Stop focusing just on results. Start building relationships.
- Stop working in isolation. It’s your own fault if you feel alone. Start connecting by sharing your own journey and listening to theirs.
- Stop beating yourself up over failures. Start using failure as a platform. Learn, grow, and go!
- Stop trying to lead people who don’t want to be led. Connect with people who want to go where you want to go.
- Stop thinking it all depends on you. Start believing in others.
- Stop pretending things are “just fine.” Start confronting tough issues.
- Stop commanding, start coaching.
Behaviors leaders should stop include…?
What are you doing that holds you back?
Note: The first place I read about the principle of doing less was in, “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There,” by Marshall Goldsmith.
Stop waiting for someone else to empower you to do your work :-). Another great post, Dan!!!
KaPow!!
Thanks Coach! …second half starts 530a tomorrow.. I need to be reminded what not to do.. 🙂
Thanks Ken. Go gett’em!!
Great write and great advice! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Christianliving…cheers
You’re welcome
Wonderful words of wisdom, Dan
From my own experience I would appeal to leaders to stop saying ‘no’ as a first reaction to unorthodox ideas- and instead say- that’s interesting tell me more about what you’re thinking or what you see. I think it would help for leaders to stop being certain about what is or about their fears, and to permit themselves and others to dream, and imagine new, even audacious seeming possibilities
When i feel shut down or shut out, before my ideas have had a chance to be heard, let alone considered – I am vulnerable to reacting from a threatened ( fight or flight) mindset- where my creative, problem solving capacities become constricted – and I risk losing my leadership foothold-
I need to stop reacting when I feel threatened and direct my attention inward instead, to help myself regain a sense of internal balance and grounding in my own leadership capacity- before reacting, (lest I allow a threatened, victim part of me to wrestle the reigns from the wiser, more capable adult- leader, with many more effective options available than attacking back, or retreating.
Thanks Lori. Wow! Your comment is filled with heart and insight. Very helpful.
Oh how this touches soooo many areas I’m struggling with the past couple of weeks! Thank you for the pointers and insight. 😊
Thanks Fit… It’s sooo easy to slip into behaviors and attitudes that don’t really work. Here’s to moving forward.
I really liked points 3,4, and 7. It seems as
If I’ve had to “push” people to be passionate
And that gets tiring!!
Thanks Matt. It’s so true. People who don’t have energy drain yours. It’s hard keep caring deeply when the people around you don’t.
Bam! In a nut shell – great post Dan!
Diana
Thanks Diana! Have a great week
Thanks for the posting! Truly perfect timing!
Great post Dan. I will enjoy running out of talking-do-nothing meetings. After all, we as managers and leaders have to have bias for action. Start turning into your future, build relationships, confront issues, and start coaching make a good list for managers to execute.
Lot’s of great insights Dan
I would add, “Stop believing our beliefs.” Our beliefs are merely our opinions, assumptions and our best thinking at the time. They are not facts. My commitment is for all of my beliefs to be subject to review and challenge. I forget that sometimes but getting stuck reminds me to go back and question my beliefs.
BAZINGA! Great advise that has a takeaway for everyone. How about this one for an add to the list: Stop thinking that you have to be the smartest person in the room. Enjoy and leverage the fact that others may know more than you , either as individuals or as a collective group.
Stay amazing!!
Just what I needed today! Thanks for your daily investment in our lives!!
Until we get to #9 the list says: be a solo entrepreneur, not a manager. Amen, but to do more than you can do by yourself requires an organization, where you have to play with the cards you are dealt.
Inspiring and educative post Dan. Yes to be frank many a times I have held back due to failure on some projects despite knowing that I should not take failure lying down. This piece really inspires .
This was an awesome post. I am definitely taking all of these behaviors to heart. I have learned to confront more than to hide behind a shadow. I’ve opened many doors with doing that. I really like “connect with people who want to go where you want to go,” I couldn’t agree more now that I’m working towards a career. I have to start focusing more on the people that matter most and who will help me along the way.
I couldn’t help but hear your message the other way around: this is NOT just about what “I” want to do or where “I” want to go, but it’s also about identifying those in my team that need me to support their efforts and empower their initiatives. Great advice!
Point 5 and 8 for me!
I wanted to reblog this post but cannot. Good read though
It has been said: “General notions are generally wrong”–but not with respect to this very smart and pragmatic post. Leadership success is truly about “introspection and synergy of thought” combined with “economy of leadership commandments”—where less is more.
In medicine, often less medication is better than more. A child can be given too much allowance, just as a department in the government can be given too large a budget. It’s possible that a manager can be given too much authority. And even the bible in Acts 20:35 speaks to how less is more: The world’s economy is based on hoarding and accumulating, while God’s economy is rooted in blessing and proper giving.
Here’s one other thing. I can’t handle negative words like “NO,” or “Don’t.” But the word “STOP” is in no way negative. Instead, it conjures up the reaction of pause…or perhaps “danger ahead.” And it reminds me of God’s commandments which are warnings to protect us, not punish us. And what follows the “STOP” tells us the water is hot—so we can either learn something positive…or we can do what we’ve always done and burn ourselves.
Point 1: “Stop giving your best energy to fixing stuff that’s broken. Focus on opportunity.”
My job is frequently all about fixing stuff that’s broken. If I fix the stuff that’s broken, the people who I lead can progress. learn, develop and deliver. I would say that giving of yourself to fix the broken stuff is a big part of being a “leader-servant”
Ouch! It comes down to value and priorities. We make time for the things we want, but most sacrifice time for those things we want more.
Amazing post. It can sometimes feel like we are in the organization alone, or that we are the only ones who understand the goals. We must learn the delicate art of delegation and trust those who chose….chose to be our teammates.
Thank you. Love to follow ” connect with people who want to go where you want to go”, ” stop commandin, start coaching” . Great!
Ah, this is a classic principle – “Stop talking about anything you don’t plan to do something about.” It can be difficult to implement sometimes though!