A Leadership Agenda for 2013
What I love about a new year are the expectations and anticipation reserved for something new. We permit ourselves to mentally travel back in time and revisit the old and peer into what worked and what didn’t. Many of us then become resolute to change or continue doing whatever our mental time travel revealed to us.
Certainly resolutions have many downsides. But it can be empowering to look at our own humanity, accomplishments, failures and investigate what can be learned and acted on.
Our best work suffers, and our leadership is weakened when we don’t find and reach for the proverbial pause button
It is with the above intent that I present to you a possible leadership agenda for 2013.
The following items are geared towards individual leadership action. Consider it a personal agenda for growth.
Make Time for Solitude
Daily competing demands tug at our attention and distort our perspective on what’s important. We hastily run from one meeting to the next with little to no time to reflect on what was discussed, decided. By day’s end we have depleted our energy and mental capacity.
Our best work suffers, and our leadership is weakened when we don’t find and reach for the proverbial pause button.
The competing demands and distractions are not likely to subside. Leaders must make room on their calendars for solitude. Time defended as vigorously as other people’s meetings (needs from you). Use solitude to read over meeting notes. Plan. Strategize. Read papers relevant to your profession. Meditate. Pray.
Create a sense of unity and expand team identity amongst virtual and onsite team members
Go Deep with Employees
Connect with your employees beyond understanding their workload or project updates. Make it a priority to get to know the whole employee: both the professional and personal aspirations and interests.
Explore social technology like Google+ or Salesforce to expand how employees interact and communicate with each other. These help create a sense of unity and expand team identity amongst virtual and onsite team members.
Don’t leave visual reminders of loss
Create an Environment of Optimism and Joy
2013 will not likely see easing of local and global economic hardships. The dirty “L” word – layoffs – are likely to cross executive lips throughout the year. Not exactly morale boosters.
Look for ways to counter the negative influences of the economy. If you have empty cube areas from all those layoffs, rearrange the area to make better use of the space. Don’t leave visual reminders of loss.
Discover employees’ strengths
Know what each person on your team’s strengths are and find ways to align them with work they currently do or could do. This is a great collaborative exercise to do with your team.
Simply look to the fiscal cliff fiasco for reasons why it’s important to think beyond positional leaders’ needs and agendas
Explore consequences of management decisions
Play out the impact of decisions on employees. Simply look to the fiscal cliff fiasco for reasons why it’s important to think beyond positional leaders’ needs and agendas. Managers (and politicians) can get too close to a problem and be blinded to how employees’ might interpret a decision and ensuing concerns they might have.
If I were to summarize the “why” behind the items listed, it would be this:
- Focus on workplace elements you can influence or control that make working with you rewarding and worthy of staying.
- Counter the uncertainty that hovers over organizations and our country with meaningful work and a motivating work environment.
2013 will be another tough year for employees and organizations. Your leadership can provide some needed guidance and reassurance that together you and your team can grow stronger.
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