The 4 key takeaways for your summer reflections
Physical Resilience - what works for you
Resilience has been a buzz word for a number of years now, far in advance of the Pandemic. What the Pandemic has done however is to help people understand better the distinction between emotional resilience and physical resilience. So many of you will have had your physical resilience tested, through long hours, constant readjustment and adaptation, the need to prioritise the wellbeing of your staff, as well as the feeling that it just hasn’t been possible over the last 16 months to properly take your foot off the pedal. The good news is that many leaders have learned what works for them. For some it is half an hour on a treadmill every morning, for others it is a walk in the evening, and for many of you it’s a series of micro-breaks during the day. Better habits have been built around emails and the constant ‘being on’ culture that so many of us had slipped into (a number of my clients have successfully instituted a no emails after 7.30pm rule, just like the outgoing CEO of Lloyds Bank did after he had had his breakdown a few years ago). Use the next few weeks to reflect on what’s worked, what habits you could still be changing, and proactively think about how you are going to maintain your stamina over the next period.
It’s all about how you make people feel
I can’t tell you the amount of conversations I have had with leaders over the last few months where Maya Angelou’s famous quote has been front and centre.
I’ve learnt that people will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel.
Yes the content of your response to the pandemic has been important. But for so many of those who have got it right over the last 16 months, they have kept in mind, at all times, how what they say and do is going to make their people feel.
Mercury
Or, if you prefer your gods in Greek, Hermes. The god who is fleet of foot and highly resourceful.
The Pandemic has reinforced the point that you can’t control everything. You are likely to get blindsided more often than not. However, ensuring you can be fleet of foot, from an organisational point of view, is key. Organisations whose systems, processes, and decision-making have been agile have coped more successfully with the challenges. Those who have carried out skills and business needs assessments, and repurposed and developed teams and individuals accordingly. Think (for any of you going near the sea this summer) hydrofoil not cruise ship. Have you got this right yet? And if not, what changes do you need to make?
10/10/10
Professor Peter Frankopan is Director of Global History at Oxford University. One of the new habits I have built over the last 16 months is listening to podcasts, and Professor Frankopan was on one of the first I listened to. He explained that history shows that there are only two drivers of real change: wars and pandemics. How much thought have you put into the long term changes to your sector, your industry, your profession? The best leaders and organisations do a form of the brilliant 10/10/10 principle: what might this decision look like in 10 days time? 10 months time? And 10 years time? This can really help ensure that you are planning and making decisions with the right time-frame in mind, forcing you to be forward-looking and ensuring you are considering the relevant trends and direction of travel.
Well done to everyone for getting through the last 16 months, enjoy your time off, however brief it might be, and try and come back refreshed and re-energised. It will be needed.
For more on this or any aspect of leadership, with a healthy dose of mindset, sport, and I hope usefulness thrown in, do feel free to browse through all the articles in the Huddle, or get in touch with me directly on catherine@sportandbeyond.co.uk