How to Start the Week Like a Leader
Everything goes dark if you leave organizational culture to chance.
You’re responsible for the way it feels to be on your team.
Purpose:
Purpose expands the world.
Yes, you want to make a profit, expand your business, and serve your customers. But what’s behind all that?
How will life be better for others if you succeed?
5 purposeful practices for Monday:
- Chase fulfillment. Fulfillment is found, not achieved. You find it in bits and pieces while you engage in meaningful work with others. What’s really fulfilling about work? Maybe it’s not the work at all. Maybe it’s relationships with the people you work with.
- Build confidence in others. How might you let people know that you believe in them?
- Make people feel they belong. What might you do this week to strengthen connections on your team?
- Pursue a noble goal. How might you encourage people to think bigger of themselves?
- Let others know they matter. Show respect. Share authority.
4 more opportunities to kickoff the week like a leader:
#1. Try something you haven’t tried.
What new behavior might help you exceed your expectations for the week?
If you keep doing the same things, this week will end like all the rest.
#2. Stop doing things that aren’t working.
Where are you seeing low return on your personal energy investment?
- Acknowledge failed strategies. Have the courage to say, “It’s not working.”
- Clarify your goals.
- Adopt new strategies.
#3. Challenge someone to go where they haven’t gone. (And stay available to help.)
- Make it simple.
- Identify new behaviors.
- Devise a plan.
- Set a schedule for trying new behaviors.
- Give feedback.
- Adapt.
- Try again.
#4. Challenge your team to take something to the next level.
Thinking shifts when leaders ask, “How might we take this to the next level?”
Which of these suggestions might work for you?
What suggestions do you have for starting the week like a leader?
“Stop doing things that aren’t working.” I always struggle with, when do I keep pushing to make it successful and when do I stop and try a different tactic.
Thanks Patrick. I think it takes more courage to stop something that isn’t working than it takes to start something new. Maybe it’s because we judge ourselves as failures if we admit something isn’t working.
Love #3 “Challenge someone”…AND stay available to help. Key point. Support is vital to those who are trying and being challenged, AND helps cement your relationships with them. Then they allow you to lead beyond task management. Bonus points for Relationships!
Thanks Will. There is tension between challenge and support. Too much challenge and people get frustrated and/or discouraged. Too much support and people stop growing and get board.
Originally, I wrote, “Walk beside people when you challenge them.” I think that’s a little too supportive. That’s why I chose to write, “Stay available.”
You might drop in from time to time. You might say, “Please see me anytime you have questions or want to talk something over.”
The ‘Adopt new strategies’ piece often slips by me. Why? Because it usually requires time, evaluation, and a bit of risk. And I’m not afraid of those things. I actually enjoy them. But it requires of me to set aside the better part of a day to make it meaningful. I guess if I’m honest, Adopting new strategies needs to be a high priority to me, otherwise it just becomes a missed opportunity. Great post, Dan. Happy Monday!
That’s a great piece.
Thank you Dr.Dan for imparting knowledge on leadership.
Your topics on leadership are very insightful and Inspiring hence worth reflecting always for better output in service delivery.
Thank you.
All are excellent points worth implementing. Additionally, appreciating the most positive behaviour from someone over the last week may provide the boost to quickly overcome the inertia at the start of the week.