FIVE WAYS TO MAINTAIN YOUR ROLE AS LEADER

5 Ways To Free Yourself From A Leadership Rut

Leaders who are bored, in a rut, or otherwise find themselves anesthetized by the routine have a huge problem - they are not leading. Leadership is a game for the mentally agile, not the brain dead. Sound harsh? It’s meant to. While most of the world has succumbed to a static life imprisoned by the limitations of their own mind, real leaders are always looking beyond what is, thinking about the possibilities of what if, and acting to ensure what’s next. Why then do so many leaders complain about being in a rut? They get comfortable playing things safely, they rest on their laurels, they stop investing in personal growth and development, they settle, they quit and stay – they become a leader in title only. In the text that follows, I’ll share 5 tips guaranteed to jump-start your brain and get you off on the right foot for 2012.

All of us at one time or another experience the signs of boredom. Here’s the thing – boredom is a state of mind. The difference between real leaders, and leaders in title only, is what they do when the creative juices begin to dwindle. Feigned leaders accept the status quo, and real leaders see the signs of boredom as the precursor to needed change. For most people, the simple truth is excuses come easier than solutions – but who said leadership was easy?  Leadership is about acclimation and reacclimation, improvising and adapting, learning and unlearning – leadership is about change.

My observations and experiences over the years have led me to a very simple conclusion: I have yet to see anyone improve their status by maintaining the status quo. If you’re going to get comfortable with anything as a leader, I would suggest it be change. Change is a leaders best friend, and the one thing that will propel you forward. Don’t make excuses – make changes. Saying you don’t have time for “X” is just code for “ X” isn’t important to me. Saying you don’t have the resources needed for change is just an admission you’re not very resourceful. Leadership has little to do with resources, but everything to do with resourcefulness. The funny thing is, those who are the most resourceful often end-up with the greatest amount of resources. If you’re stuck in a leadership rut, the following 5 steps will help you find your path back to real leadership:

1. Go Break Something: Need to reinvigorate a stale mind or a less than thriving enterprise? Try changing the corporate landscape by shifting existing roles and responsibilities, or by bringing in fresh talent from the outside. If you want to drive innovation, lead change, and create growth, stir the pot – go break something. Slaughter a few sacred cows, challenge conventional wisdom, break a paradigm, and inject a little chaos into your ordered world. Old isn’t necessarily wrong, but likewise, it’s not necessarily right either. Overlay a new business model on top of the existing one, and look for ways to create new advantages and make needed improvements. Reengineer a best practice into a next practice. Ask yourself this question: Is the most tenured person in a particular position, the best person for the position? If not, make a change. Don’t be bored, just implement a little creative destruction.
2. Recharge Your Brain: A stagnant thought life is not a sign of healthy leadership. A brain is like any other energy source – it needs to be nourished in order to evolve. Whether you stimulate your brain through basic learning activities like reading, taking classes or participating in workshops or seminars, or by just giving it some well needed rest, the important thing is to make a concerted effort in this regard. Some of my best thinking comes when I remove myself from the routine of the office and go for a run. Vacations, sabbaticals, and service projects are also quite useful for creating new thinking paradigms. I’m a big proponent of attempting to carve out new neural pathways by subjecting the brain to new and creative ways of thinking. A few of the things I’m doing this year include going cold-turkey on television (a family project), playing one game of chess each day, and studying a new language. Change-up your routine and do things differently and more productively – you’ll be glad you did.
3. Get Some Help: Leading in isolation is dangerous. The best leaders surround themselves with wise counsel, and make a habit of seeking out sound advice. Start close to home – ask your family for their candid opinion of your shortcomings, and then listen. Those who love you the most will also give you the respect of candor. In addition to seeking guidance from your family, seek out professional advice and counsel by joining a peer group, hiring a coach, creating an advisory board, or finding a new mentor. There are abundant resources available to leaders resourceful enough to seek them out. Don’t allow yourself to be held hostage by your pride, ego, arrogance, or ignorance – go get some help.
4. Have a Vigorous Debate: Few things kindle the creative fires like a challenging debate. By seeking out dissenting views and differing opinions, you open your mind to new ideas and perspectives. A developed mind is the result of a challenged mind. Smart leaders take their business logic and willingly subject it brutal assault. In doing so, they often find what they believed to be close to perfect was in fact flawed. Go find the smartest people you can, and ask them to poke holes in your theories and beliefs. There is value in both validation and invalidation. Don’t be afraid of being proven wrong – be afraid of thinking you’re right when you’re not.
5. Fire Yourself: In the final analysis, if you can’t or won’t fix yourself, or you can’t or won’t allow yourself to be developed by others, then it’s time to pass the baton. Both you and your organization deserve more than just a leader in title, and if you cannot perform as leader then find someone who can. Whether you transition to a co-CEO role, entrepreneur in residence, Chairman of the Board, consultant, take a sabbatical, or you just resign your position, all concerned parties will be better off by making a move that is likely long overdue.