A Holiday SOS to Leaders
Are you craving some time away from it all, like many hard working leaders do at this time of year? Are you ready for a holiday…?
The term “holiday” (according to the online etymology dictionary) comes from old English for “holy” day. As well as the sacred connotation here, it follows that “holy” also refers to “that which must be preserved whole or intact”.
Do you ever feel like you’re driving hard towards something that doesn’t feel like the whole story, the real deal? Perhaps holidays for some are something of an escape from this predicament.
Not just for you, but what of your colleagues? We often hear in the workplace: “I don’t believe in what I‘m doing right now”; “Nobody around here is passionate about their work”; even stating, “I hate my job but I have to do it to pay the mortgage”.
We see this on a grander scale in the Gallup employee engagement surveys. The past 10 years show a consistent trend averaging approximately 5 in 10 people ‘not engaged’, 2 in 10 reporting being actively disengaged, which leaves only 2 in 10 people being engaged. It’s a stark reminder of the collective and a personal calling to be and do something meaningful in our professional lives.
What if you tapped into a bigger sense of mission?
What if you were to take some time out during your next holiday to connect with a deeper sense of purpose? What if you could then somehow sustain that connection when returning to work? Perhaps then your future holidays could be even more of a rejuvenating experience than the typical getaway.
Jeff Weiner, CEO of Linked In, recently said in an interview that, for him, being happy and fulfilled is simply looking forward to going to work and looking forward to coming home. His personal mission is to expand the world’s collective wisdom and compassion. When he comes to look back over his life, he said that he will be happy if he feels he has played a small role in that.
Just imagine how such a purpose might impact levels of enthusiasm and naturally translate into the inspiration of others, into their energy for tackling client issues, and being creative about new ways to build the business. Linked In’s success is in part testament to this.
Another powerful example is Jeffery Swartz, Timberland’s CEO. He had an epiphany when talking with a child at a rehabilitation centre about what they both do. Jeffery said to the teen, “I’m responsible for global execution of strategy. So what do you do?”. “I work at getting well.” she replied. Since then, Swartz has been highly driven to make the world a better place and Timberland’s mission “is to equip the world to make a difference”.
Who do you know who’s “on a mission”, or purpose driven and resilient? Think about them for a moment and reflect on what might be driving that. What might be the bigger picture or vision that you are, or would like to see yourself playing a part in?
A new era, a new focus for leaders
In 2004, Jeff Immelt, the then CEO of General Electric, affirmed ‘virtue’ as the top factor to distinguish a leader beyond execution, growth and hiring great people. He went on to say, “The era we live in belongs to people who believe in themselves, but are focused on the needs of others. Good leaders give back.”
Whilst it may be easy to criticise leaders such as Immelt and Swartz for not always living up to those missions, it is worth noting that they do have something meaningful to drive towards.
The previous era has predominantly been one that has focused on ‘Me’ centred principles. We start off by making sure we are ok – looking after Number One (because perhaps no one else will). In seeing others around me have more, I’d better try to own more.
As displayed particularly well in the finance industry, the game becomes about being masters of the universe and commanding increasingly more of what is available. As we’ve seen in the stories of those who follow such principles, the later stages start to seem hollow, as opposed to whole. Any short-term gains made are eventually overshadowed by a lack of lasting success or happiness.
S.O.S. for a shift in principles
In this new, more conscious era, what is the shift in key principles from “me”, to “we and us” that we may urgently need to pay attention to as a leader?
Where might we better put our focus in order to ensure lasting success and growth? Here is our SOS message to all leaders, followed by some ideas of what to do about it.
S: Self Mastery – The world is continually changing; Rise to this by constantly evolving and nurturing myself. This starts with initial awareness about my rational and emotional intelligence, and then leads on to developing both of the former through practice.
O: One Vision or ‘United Thinking’. The world is increasingly global and social. The recent ‘youth’ riots in Europe and the Arab Spring uprisings have shown us that we can’t ignore what’s happening around us, because it ultimately impacts on us. The old era of “me” focus has led the world to a zero sum game.
Instead, begin with ‘the whole’ in mind. As the African proverb goes “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
S: Serving All – By serving all you are making a difference, and in so doing you are ultimately serving myself. If you have ever experienced giving or receiving a small act of kindness, you will know what we mean.
Shifting in this way may open the door for us to connect with our deeper calling and draw on more sustainable drivers in our lives and our roles as leaders.
Here are some ways forward for each.
1. Self-Mastery: Tune Into Your Calling
Detaching from work on holiday provides a good point for inner reflection, enabling you to retune into the environment around you on your return with fresh perspectives.
Allow yourself some time to reflect and dream about what might be possible.
What else may be out there for you?
What bigger picture are you part of?
Listen to yourself, to what comes up. Notice the stories, bigger pictures and meanings that stand out as you reflect on what you enjoy, what you care about, what lies ahead..
How well do you really listen at work? Think about all the stakeholder groups in (or near) your sphere of influence:
Where do you sense that there may be room for better understanding and connection?
With whom could you mutually improve your ability to respond to in a more generative, supportive and sensitive way?
What would make a big difference in how your employees feel, and how well they contribute?
Of the shareholders who have a long term interest in the company, what are their perceptions about the business?
What do your customers think about your organisation and your leadership? What do they ideally want?
What are your suppliers’ experiences of working with your company? What would make a positive impact and improve the value exchanged with them?
Listening to the true voices, the needs and wants of all these people and groups may serve to inform or clarify your own voice, your sense of what your role is in the bigger picture.
2. One Vision: Energise a New Big Picture
As soon as you get a sense of where there is a sizeable opportunity for positive, generative change: start visioning.
Take a mental leap forward into the future and get a take on what it will be like when you succeed in meeting more of the core needs and wants of your stakeholders:
How will life begin to shift for you all?
What more will they be able to create and how much better will you all be able to serve the needs of your clients and colleagues?
How will the organisation be affected, and what about its perception in the market and by shareholders?
What will you be doing differently, and how will this reflect your (new) organisational culture?
3. Serving All: Start Making a Difference
With the pull of your calling and a renewed vision of your leadership to propel you forward, it’s time to take some immediate steps, and start putting in the foundations by:
Seeking out or supporting like minds
Developing new capabilities, and commiting to continued practice
Working on your personal health and resilience
Reading and writing about relevant topics or areas
Find opportunities or projects that will allow you to integrate your new thinking
The point of no return, no holding back
Until you listen, and then respond to your calling, you will hold back on many positive and reinforcing benefits. These include a tangible improvement in your levels of energy and happiness, a better connection with all those around you and the rocket fuel that you will start to pour on your legacy-building project.
More than that, once a voice is awakened in you, it is usually hard to stifle again completely. What’s more, the longer you ignore it, the harder and more painful it may be to integrate with ease when it eventually comes back (possibly with a real SOS like quality).
As you take some breaths of fresher holiday air or rest in your sun lounger this month, start with the above reflective questions and allow yourself to really ‘holiday’ and recreate a new whole, a more enticing future vision and bigger picture.
Written by Daniel Stane & Julian Read
We would welcome your comments or questions. We would also be delighted to arrange an informal conversation about how we can work with you or your leaders to achieve some of the results mentioned above. Please contact us info@easyrevolution.com