What are your personal lines in the sand for change or to maintain the work you started. The fires of 2019/2020 in Australia brought this question to mind that I often use in coaching in slightly different context but the same broad understanding. Where is your line in the sand for wearing a smoke/dust mask if there was no underlying health reasons for putting one on? At hazardous level? 5x hazardous levels? 20x hazardous levels? When your told you have too? When you’re the last person to put one on to show your independence or strength? For me it became the 10x+ hazardous conditions. I had moderated my outdoor work activities pervious to this which is hard for any one self employed when action relates directly to income that can have a huge knock on effect now and into the following one, two three, four, five and even six months. I had realised teaching outside all day was leading to headaches and fatigue in greater frequency, thus I was generally trying to finish between 2 & 4pm after early starts. The closer I could be to finishing at 2pm seemed to make it better for the next day and the day after. Closer to 4pm made the following day tougher on vocal chords and a general sense you’d smoked a pack of cigarettes and followed it up with a few strong drinks to give you a feeling of yuck and slightly disoriented. Of course my troubles where nothing compared to those closer or on the fire fronts themselves. The full price those people will be paying with their health conceivably won’t roll out completely until a good few months after the crisis and clean up has transpired. Making the tough decision not to book clients in on certain days and if the situation lingered longer then expected to stand by the original decision and put your own and other people’s health and safety above and beyond the pursuit of money.
But what does leadership look like in your own life? How often do we think of leadership as something outwardly towards others; our leaders/managers. When the most important person in the world is left to drift from crisis to crisis without a rudder to help find the calmer waters on occasion and establish a better situation. Or worse we actively look to steer the rudder straight back into the crisis because this is the label we’ve unconsciously given ourselves.
Genuine Leadership is hard. Or at least that’s what we are lead to believe. Those that say it’s tough but only they have the capacity to lead are being disingenuous. Because everyone of us needs to have the courage to lead at least in a room full of one. The mirrored room where there is no escaping or dodging away from the role you need to play in your own life.
And guess what though? Leadership is hard, bloody hard at times. Especially when you have skin in the game. Leadership is all about consistently making choices. Sometimes none of them are that great, but will they improve your future. Yes some definitely will, and some you’ll have to play the long game to find out, staying motivated and finding short term goals when the end isn’t insight. Damn that’s disappointing not getting immediate gratification!! The grind of life. Each day is a new with decisions to be made and good habits to be consolidated. A path to be found and treasures to be unearthed. Some days will seem unbelievably unproductive, some days boring, some days will be hard labour and others will be kick arse high five territory!
However to make decisions better and wiser, separating the thoughts and emotions from the action is required. By investigating and investing in your WHY, as to the reason for your doing. As the leader you need to be aware of where you are actually in this present moment. Possibly the ugly rare truth isn’t great, possibly you’re not doing too badly. Where ever that location is, it’s important because we can’t move forward if we don’t know where that is. The smallest step forward is still better then not taking one or worse not even realising you were going backwards and weren’t looking to address it.
The example being I’m too tired to walk today.
The WHY I was walking in the first place.
- Gain mobility.
- Increase fitness.
- Stepping stone to other activities.
- Weight loss.
- Out in nature and all it’s wonders.
- Connecting with the present moment.
Having more then one WHY makes it easier for those of us who don’t always stay steely eyed focused, to remain with the overall task in a scatter gun type way as not every WHY will hit the mark each and every day. If you think of the answer for WHY as 1 & 3, then neither of these actions can be improved by not doing today. They also have a knock on effect by delaying everything else down the track. I need them to be established first so they are strong and reliable to make tomorrow’s springboard ready to catapult me forward and the ability to take on opportunities as they raise. This doesn’t make todays walk easier, it only gives you a good reason to start todays walk and not sit it out.
So there is my WHY but as a leader should I be making my own workplace simpler or harder to achieve these goals? Hopefully if I’m a good leader I try to make things easier and progressive. Sometimes I might have to tough it out, If I rely on that thinking for every decision (ie I’ve got to show I really want this to prove it’s worthwhile) then I’m setting myself up to fail more often then not or take the easier option of simply resetting and starting tomorrow or next week or next month or worse next year or the ultimate handbrake; when I feel ready.
As a good wise kind leader that you are, instead of relying on willpower and self punishment. You’ll instead put your hiking boots and poles in a spot to engage the enjoyment of WHY. Water bottle etc at the door or already in the car. Sunscreen and hat close at hand. Even leave a note or photo on the boots or poles to help with the WHY when the doubters are shouting from the stands. Calling you to join the crowd, it’s fun safe and easier over here. But you know your a leader now of that room full of one. And as a leader; some things you’ll need to do alone and often doing what’s right and necessary is done alone. Amazingly though once the why and the doing have become strong; suddenly you’re in a room full of friends enjoying your success and telling everyone who’ll listen how much they had faith in you all along. It’s amazing how crowded that room full of one can be; which is why you need to nudge yourself into leadership, because it’s never for just one version of you, your appealing to. There are many versions of you to get on board with and get everyone sharing in the same best version of you that aligns with your values and the WHY.
So then it comes back to the line in the sand. How many tasks would you skip, dodge, over-look, evade and find urgently needed business that rules out any possible chance of making time for who you want to be?
Goals are important.
Why’s keep you in the game.
Habits and structure reduce the need for consistently tapping into your dwindling battered confidence and willpower.
But having a line in the sand keeps you honest with the leader you must be to make the changes and progress necessary for empowerment for all the people in your own room.
Turn your own naysayers into a cheer squad that herald your success. Leadership isn’t about having absolute power but getting as much buy in as you can for the best outcome you can produce, your very own Personal Best.
Good luck.
