Learn to be the leader you were always meant to be!

The weather this week in Northwest Arkansas is incredible. Last night I had to get on my bike and ride. I was pumped up to ride for a while and my trusty bike light was fully charged! Then it happened, my back tire decided to run over something sharp and go flat. We were about a mile from town. After identifying the problem, we put a patch on it only to find another hole in the tire.

What do you do when everything you prepared to do doesn’t work? Three lessons I’ve gleaned from some of the amazing leaders we work with kept me focused.

During the past decade our team has had a unique opportunity to observe, coach, and work with amazing leaders across the world. Before we jump into the list, let me take a moment to describe how we determine if a leader is successful.

Leader Success is …

·    When leaders are proud of how they are leading.

·    When leaders demonstrate the ability to recast the past and apologize for when they were wrong.

·    When leaders have healthy relationships and are driving for extraordinary results.

·    When leaders have overcome obstacles without losing their values and damaging their legacy.

·    When leaders have healthy relationships with their family and work has not become “their family”.

·    When leaders leave a legacy worth remembering in their current season of life.

Leader Success is NOT …

·    Measured by financial measures.

·    Measured by titles.

·    Measured by accolades.

Plenty of leaders have made lots of money, held the highest titles, and won the accolades. Many of those leaders are also successful. I hope we all have them both.

Here’s a short list of a few traits successful leaders exhibit:

1) Resiliently Optimistic

The words of Winston Churchill resonate. Great Britain had their backs against the wall. Hope had to come from internal values and belief that the right side would prevail against all odds. Churchill worked every avenue to problem solve and inspired hope with his speeches even during the Blitz in London.

Great leaders defy the odds, stay persistent and continue to rally their teams during turmoil. They are resilient.

The leaders we observe are facing countless challenges and constant change. They focus on what they can control, stay honest yet instill hope, and find a way to win.

I imagine what drove Churchill not to give up was the idea that our world could not succumb to the horrors of the Nazi regime no matter the cost. Sometimes what drives our resilient optimism is a heavy burden to make wrongs right.

Many times, what drives current leaders to be resiliently optimistic is a healthy perspective of how good we have it even when life is hard (i.e. when we’re anxious, stressed, frustrated, wondering how to close the deal, sharing the news of layoffs, restructuring our business, etc.) How well are we keeping perspective in those hard moments? After all, we each have homes to return to and beds to refresh ourselves for a new day. We have cars to drive to the gym for a workout while sipping on a quality French press coffee. Not ever to make light of our plight, but perspective can help us stay resiliently optimistic while we navigate a tough business landscape.

·    What is a challenging situation you are leading through now?

·    What opportunity does this situation reveal? (Focus on the opportunity not what is not working.)

Back to my bike story! Resilient Optimism: I was outside on a Sunday night enjoying the weather.

2) Ambitious Adaptability

Franklin Roosevelt led the United States during a very challenging time that shaped and impacted generations. Two years ago, we visited four national parks and every park had a story about how the New Deal program helped expand the park. From the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, and the Badlands, we saw the impact of FDR.

During the depression, he had to find a way to pursue economic recovery. But, he also left a legacy that will never be forgotten. The path and decisions facing him could have potentially continued to put the United States in turmoil. He had to ambitiously adapt.

Successful leaders are willing to ambitiously adapt and to solve problems. They don’t get stuck doing what they have always done, they look for new ways to solve problems and help their organizations.

·    What are two opportunities to adapt that you have been unwilling to consider?

·    Take a moment to be curious and consider if a part of an idea you have been rejecting could be the very idea you need to practice ambitious adaptability.

Back to my bike story. Ambitious Adaptability: It was a beautiful night to walk in road racing shoes down the greenway. Of course, I wasn’t nervous hearing the sirens of Springdale while walking through the dark.

3) Healthy Community

This may be the most difficult of all the traits to maintain. It seems that the more responsibility we accrue, the busier our lives get, and the more difficult it is to maintain healthy community. When we move up or move cities, establishing authentic healthy friendships can become more and more difficult.

Our focus at Insight Leadership Group is to help leaders become rooted. To be rooted in purpose requires community, knowing what drives you and reciprocity. Healthy leaders have friends outside of work who are in our corners. Many of us have those friends outside of our communities. It is even more difficult to maintain these relationships in the places we live because of the pace of our lives.

However, with all the other traits we could list, this is one of the most significant. When we have healthy community, we are happier. Period. I think it’s because we are made for community and not isolation.

·    What steps can you take to be intentional in your friendships?

·    Who is in your corner, outside of your spouse?

Healthy Community (from my bike ride): My brother in-law Peter rode back to the car and we still had a great night on the trail!

What’s next? We hope you process the questions and ponder your answers. Let’s work together to love life @ work and love life @ home.

If you need some encouragement during 2025 let us know.

·    You have one more week to sign up for the Insight Executive Leadership Academy.

·    We are currently accepting new leaders to coach in 2025.

·    We have 2 more spots available for Distilled.