Wash or Recline

The Power of Small Choices

The small choices we make over time define the lives we live at work and at home. Sometimes the simplest of choices are the ones that make all the difference. Popular TV shows would often show a dad getting home from work, sitting on a recliner, and drinking a beer while watching the game of the night. This concept is obviously not isolated to TV land.

Years ago, I would arrive home both emotionally and physically exhausted … meaning my words were used up and I needed to recharge. I often found myself on the recliner, watching a game, and sipping a beverage while trying to decompress. Meanwhile, my wife was making the world work and taking care of our son. She also needed a recharge moment … and, when I checked out, I was not helpful!

The rhythm I had created was not a positive one for my family. I was not contributing at home. I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but there was a disconnect between who I was becoming and the family man I wanted to be. A shift needed to happen.

I needed to consider if I was going to wash or recline.

One day, when I arrived home from work, I mustered all my energy and started washing dishes in the kitchen. Yes, obviously, the heavens opened, singing began and I was hailed a hero. But, who needs accolades…

But seriously, I needed to do something to contribute, something that required very little thought, and the constant noise of the sink helped me zone out all the other noise. To this day – when I’m exhausted, you will find me washing the dishes.

The small choice to wash dishes made a tremendous impact on my marriage and the example I set for my kids, now four in all.

Each choice we make leads to an outcome. If we have some strategic foresight, we can discern if our choices are leading us to where we want to go.

For example: If you have a team member consistently struggling and underperforming, you must ask yourself the question, “What am I doing to contribute to the issue?” The same decisions over time will lead to worse outcomes. So, you must make new decisions on how to lead your teams.

If you find yourself struggling to love life at work and love life at home, then what will be different in 2025? What decisions will you make that lead to making a big difference over time? Will you do the norm and settle for what is comfortable, or will you do something different to gain an edge?

We have been in in the people development business for quite a number of years and one thing we know … leaders don’t change habits easily. Gaining an “edge” does not happen easily, especially the older we get!

Three keys to sustainable leadership growth are:

1. Purpose | Leaders need to know why they do what they do and what’s most important

2. Community | Leaders need to have a healthy community of peers so they don’t feel like they are leading and living on an island

3. Reciprocity | Leaders need to be giving to others and receiving from others

At Insight, we intentionally structure our leadership programs to include these three elements while we develop communication, leadership skills, management abilities, etc. Anyone can go to a conference and get pumped up. Anyone can sit through a speaker series once a month and hear great ideas. Anyone can go to those events and continue to lead the same way with new buzz words. If you are trying to take the next step in 2025 … and your investment does not include these three elements (above) … we encourage you to look elsewhere.

What will make 2025 different for you? What will be your “washing dishes” moment for leadership development? The choices we make have a direct implication on the outcomes we experience.

Here are four leadership development options proven to help leaders establish healthier rhythms and take the next step in their leadership journey

1. Executive Coaching | One-on-one support for 8-12 months

2. Insight Executive Leadership Academy & Mastermind Group | Gain tools, training, executive coaching, and access to dialogue with guest speakers:

   • Curtis Barnett, CEO & President Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield

   • Mary Doderer, CEO & President Arkansas Children’s

   • Marlene Creighton, CSO, KraftHeinz

   • Marshall Saviers, CEO & Principal Cushman & Wakefield/Sage Partners

3. Manage as Coach Cohort | Training that provides managers the tools and mindset to manage as a coach

4. Distilled | A unique leadership experience for senior level leaders to help them focus on rest and purpose

Leaders – Move into 2025 with a clear purpose, clear goals, practical tools and an excellent community to help you “win” the year at work and at home.

Shoot me a note (michael@insightlg.com) to discern which route is best for you and which route is best for the leaders on your team. Or, just to say hi!

Cheers,

Michael Brown and the Insight Team