All Stagnation Needs is Smug Satisfaction
Work on how you work. If you don’t, this week will reflect last week.
Take charge of your trajectory.
If you can’t tell me what you’re working on as a leader, you’re already stagnant.
Choose a neglected leadership behavior to practice.
Narrow your focus.
Don’t change everything. Just change one thing.
#1. Affirm character.
Rise above “Good job” affirmations. When you see character, affirm it. Notice initiative, transparency, candor or grit.
An affirming statement begins, “I noticed.”
Name a behavior. Explain its impact.
Discomfort:
Perhaps you’re uncomfortable affirming character.
Discomfort with a leadership practice indicates its importance to your future success.
You might be so controlled by negatives that the thought of looking for positives disorients you. It can be scary to shift mindsets.
We neglect things so long that they feel awkward when we engage with them again. That’s the reason to lean in.
A little discomfort indicates growth.
All stagnation needs is smug satisfaction with comfortable behaviors.
Multipliers:
Affirmations are multipliers. You get what you honor with your attention.
Circling a problem is one reason it persists.
Give yourself permission to walk around once a day affirming the character of your teammates.
#2. Seek feedback.
Go to one person a day for a week. Declare an intention and ask two questions.
“I’m working to affirm qualities like initiative, openness, and candor. What am I doing that affirms these qualities in others? How might I get better at affirming them?”
#3. Practice curiosity.
At the end of the day, take a curiosity walk. Ask a handful of people the same question. You might consider one of the following options.
- What went well today?
- How can I be helpful to you?
- What’s important to you?
Narrow the above questions by putting them in a specific context.
How might you work on how you work?
What you missed:
Saturday: THE AMAZING POWER OF BEING VALUED BY OTHERS AND THE PATH TO GET THERE
Sunday: HOW TO BRING THE POWER OF PURPOSE INTO DAILY PRACTICE
In the transitional settings where I spend most of my time, there has often been decades of “being okay with being okay.” The systems become so ingrown that there is a serious underestimate of what others in the field are currently doing. That means “new ideas” are threatening and elicit many anxious reactions. For me, changing one thing focuses best on naming and describing teammates’ responsive (not reactive) behaviors and the contribution they make to a healthier organization. The description of the healthier organization often begins to make its way into teammates’ conversations. The common goal is supported by the reinforced actions.
“Affirmations are multipliers. You get what you honor with your attention. Circling problems is one reason they persist.”
I love this idea. I realize that affirmations lead to re-occurrences of behaviors, but I haven’t ever applied the same idea to problems. Thanks for the tip, Dan! Your advice makes me a better leader and I appreciate the thought you put behind these posts.
Practicing curiosity is a super tangible behavior for working leaders. I particularly like the idea of picking a time/place and asking the same question or few questions of various people. Best focus group you can have. I’m a big thank you emailer or texter. I like the idea of adding a quick, specific email about their feedback later in the day. Sometimes you get get more about your conversation after they’ve had a chance to think about it. Either way I always get a response and a positive vibe.
Good. Lord. Dan.
Amazing post, brother.