15 Shortcuts to Happiness & Health
More Effective Leadership Part 3 fo 3 (free)
In Part 1 we covered leadership beliefs for more effective daily actions.
In Part 2 we covered leadership behavior for more effective daily actions.
We asked the question, “How do we naturally leverage listening while laying the value building-blocks for long-term leadership in a career or company?
Answer:
Element: Outcomes
# 1 Leadership Building Block
Focus. Keeping the main thing the main thing.
World champion athletes reach and sustain success by adhering to the basics of their sport. Basketball players practice free throws. Football players practice timing. Golfers practice putting. Gold medal success in any game expects practice and demands mastery of its core building blocks. Leadership does, too.
So, consider focus the number one, most important, foundational building block for world-champion leadership.
But, be careful here… because focus means so much more than mitigating multitasking and diverting distractions. Those are level-one focus skills, easily attainable with persistent practice by most people.
World champion leaders master something I call level-two focus abilities; picking the important pillars and plowing toward each one everyday.
What does this mean, and look like?
A few years ago, as an individual contributor at a nationwide retailer, I was recruited to teach air travel safety to select directors, presidents and senior-team c-suite executives. I knew preaching by powerpoint presentation would not persuade them to practice safety. If I highlighted the hundreds of safety details that required compliance, my audience would walk away empty-minded (and underserved).
Instead, I needed a north star, or a one-thing, for them to focus on which would automatically help them behave in a manner that would meet the multiple safety metrics that mattered most (hold handrails, wear no-slip shoes, scan surroundings).
The message (focus) became this: maintain large safety margins. And, I echoed this mantra over and over and over during our discussions.
The message (focus) became this: maintain large safety margins. And, I echoed this mantra over and over and over during our discussions.
When I delved into a safety details, I sandwiched the message (focus) between them.
When I answered questions, I centered the solutions around the message (focus).
When I demonstrated a best practice, I based it on the message (focus).
If they approached air travel with a “maintain large safety margins” mentality (focus), each person would stay safe, and the entire enterprise would continue its forward charge.
With a clear message to focus on, the esteemed audiences left the training events armed for safety success. They knew exactly what to think about and when to think about it.
How do I know?
I surveyed them! The polls revealed that they knew where to focus. Safe behaviors followed. Safety goals were reached.
You can apply level-two focus to any project or goal (short-term or long-term) and any company mission or enterprise vision.
For example, if you support data-share software within a company, figure out what one or two level-two focus factors move the needle. Then, preach and teach them to every end user. When you do, your inbox and phone will ding and ring less.
If you manage a team of ten or two hundred within a business, clarify the one or two level-two focus factors that get results. Then, preach and teach them to every manager and contributor. When you do, your meeting calendar will clear out and your critical thinking capacity will open up.
If you lead an enterprise, determine the one or two level-two focus factors that will walk everyone down the profitability path. Then, preach and teach them across the company, through all available outlets, every single day. When you do, employees will automatically align their efforts with what you want accomplished.
Avoiding distractions, a level-one focus skill, does improve impact. Persistently implement this best practice. But, just like in sports, exponential advancement at work demands mastering the basic leadership building block of focus. This level-two ability will make one hell of an unfair, competitive advantage throughout your career, company, or industry.
Following these leadership tenants can catapult a career forward faster, no matter one’s position, company size, or industry. I leverage these leadership tenants today. With them, I’m able to to add profound value and achieve high-performance results. I’m able to make daily actions more effective, without taking tons of time.
Here they are again.
#1 Leadership Belief: It’s not about you. It’s about them.
#1 Leadership Behavior: Humility… to hear what’s not being said. To listen.
#1 Leadership Building Block: Focus. Keeping the main thing the main thing.
Which will you put into practice today to be a better leader? To transform stress for others, too?
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PS...
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