The Friday Five - Leadership Edition

The Friday Five - Issue 27
Challenging leaders to maximize their potential
Terry Wetzel ~ Summit Leadership Development
Interested in coaching for you or your team? Reach out and let’s talk.

I am a coffee lover (addict) and the worst possible cup for me is one that is watered down. When it comes to giving our team or colleagues feedback, we sometimes wrap our critiques in so many layers of “soft” language that the recipient leaves the room thinking they’re doing a great job, while you leave wondering why they won't change. When feedback is watered down it’s unfair. By protecting someone’s feelings in the short term, you are losing the opportunity to help them to grow in the long term. Be kind, but be direct. And enjoy your coffee full strength.

Yes, we all have bad days. But bad weeks? Much less often. Keep things in perspective. A bad day does not equal a bad week. Do not allow one day to define an entire week. Stay positive, be realistic, and keep your mindset in check.

For leaders, trust and credibility are critical. Credibility is earned through consistent alignment of words and actions that show a team their leader is capable and reliable. Trust is built upon that credibility, creating an environment where innovation and risk-taking can thrive. If this foundation gets cracked, no amount of strategic brilliance can compensate for the results.

Ever feel like you go through stretches where days and weeks seem to pass by robotically like an endless loop? Brain fog setting in? Ruts aren't a sign of failure; they are a sign of stagnation in your routine or decision fatigue. Working harder will not get you out of the rut. You have to introduce a glitch in the loop. You need something out of the ordinary. Try some small things like a new route to work, a morning walk instead of jumping right into emails, a different coffee shop, reading a fiction book instead of a business book, watching an inspiring documentary, connecting with old friends, or volunteering at a nonprofit.

The law of diminishing returns is an economic principle which states that as you increase investment or time in one area (while keeping others constant), the gain eventually begins to decline. In leadership, this applies to team oversight vs. micromanagement, being mindful of meeting frequency and duration, or hours worked per week. There is a "sweet spot" for almost every leadership behavior; go past it, and you start hurting the very team you’re trying to help.

“Getting more sleep may be the single greatest gift we can give our bodies, our minds, and even, it turns out, our bottom lines.” - Greg McKeown

Effortless is a follow up to Greg McKeown’s previous book, Essentialism. It is about strategically choosing to do less and focus on what matters most. It uses simple principles and practical examples to show how saying “no” to the non-essentials allows you to give your absolute best to the essentials, both personally and professionally. This is one of a handful of books I refer back to many times a year, and I absolutely love his writing style.

Be epic, not average. The world has enough average.
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The photo in today’s web edition was taken on a small lake near Mountain WI.
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