Introduction
In the relentless pursuit of excellence and progress, even the most seasoned leaders can find themselves veering off course, caught in the whirlwind of day-to-day operations and unforeseen challenges. This deviation is not a reflection of their capabilities but the consequence of navigating the complex landscape of leadership. It underscores a fundamental truth: every leader, irrespective of their experience or success, needs periodic reminders of their core responsibilities and best practices.
Imagine leadership as a journey on a vast, dynamic sea. To navigate these waters, a captain relies not only on their seasoned instincts but also on their compass and maps — their guiding principles and strategies. Similarly, leaders need their own playbook, a compilation of principles, values, and strategies they can constantly refer to, ensuring they stay true to their course.
In this fast-paced world, where change is the only constant, and crisis fatigue often blurs our focus, setting aside time for self-reflection and self-assessment is not just beneficial; it’s crucial. It’s in these moments of introspection that leaders can realign with their mission, reassess their approaches, and rejuvenate their commitment to their teams and goals.
The Leadership Playbook: Defining and Utilizing Your Personal Guide
A Leadership Playbook is a personalized guidebook that each leader should develop for themselves. It should contain a set of core principles, practices, and benchmarks that document both your personal leadership style and organizational goals. This playbook is crucial because it serves as a constant reminder of what effective leadership looks like. It’s a tool to return to regularly, especially when the daily grind distracts from core leadership objectives. Whether you have a Leadership Playbook created or not, this set of questions can be used for self-reflection and assessment on what to bring back into focus and ensure renewed awareness. Ask yourself the following questions:
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1. Company Strategy Check:
- What is the current company strategy?
- Has there been any shift in the company’s direction?
- Do the team’s objectives align with this strategy?
- Do I need to adapt my approach to support any changes?
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2. Personal Leadership Profile Reevaluation:
- Are my core values and goals still in alignment with my leadership role?
- Does my working style and behavioral preferences need any tweaking?
- Are my mantras and quotes that guide me still relevant and inspiring?
- Considering the books and resources that have shaped my style, is it time to explore new perspectives?
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3. Leadership Effectiveness Assessment:
- Have any new blind spots emerged?
- Am I still connecting emotionally with my team and stakeholders.
- How effectively am I expressing the vision and set expectations?
- What is my engagement level with the team and the regularity of meaningful interactions?
- Are my execution strategy and feedback mechanisms still delivering desired results?
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4. Team Expression Review:
- Is the team’s mission, vision, values, and objectives still clear and relevant?
- Do these need to be re-communicated or updated?
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5. Engagement Strategy Update:
- Are roles and responsibilities within my team clearly defined and understood?
- How well do I know my team’s preferences in learning, communication, and recognition?
- Are there new ways to enhance trust and vulnerability in communications?
- Do the Teaming Agreements, explicit statements of expectations on how to best work together, such as, meeting etiquette, managing emergencies, communications, decisions, reporting, etc. still apply or do they need to be updated?
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6. Execution Methodology Revisit:
- Is the current governance, meeting rhythms, and success metrics still valid?
- Are the processes still effective, or do they need adjustments?
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7. Customer Alignment Reflection:
- Who are our internal and external customers currently?
- How can we serve them better?
- What do they need from me and my team now?
This checklist not only serves as a guide but also prompts critical thinking and introspection, ensuring that leaders remain aligned with their core values and organizational objectives. It’s a dynamic tool, meant to evolve as the leader, team, and organization grow and change.
Continuous Learning: Embracing a Growth Mindset
Leaders must champion a growth mindset. This involves self-reflection, team retrospectives, revisiting original goals, course correction, and overcoming obstacles. Consider the analogy of elite athletes who continuously train and refine their techniques. They often need to adapt to new conditions and objectives, much like leaders must in the evolving landscape of leadership. Regularly revisiting your leadership playbook is vital. Ideally this is a quarterly exercise, allowing for a refocus to prevent fatigue. Make sure you allocate time for self-reflection and self-assessment, “Are you being the best leader you can be? What changes are needed?”
As we embark on a new year, it’s a great time to step away from the madness and renew your focus on the key elements of leadership. I challenge you to consider the next steps either individually or as a team:
- Review the leadership playbook
- Conduct retrospectives: Review past periods, identifying what worked and what didn’t.
- Refine and reiterate the vision for the year.
- Review personal goals, values, and team agreements.
Revisit Your Leadership Playbook Today!
Crafting and refining your Leadership Playbook is a critical step in ensuring the success of your team and organization. If you’re unsure how to develop or enhance your playbook, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team is here to guide you in creating a robust, personalized Leadership Playbook that resonates with your values and objectives.
Don’t let another year slip by without this essential tool in your leadership arsenal. Contact us today, and let’s begin the journey of developing your Leadership Playbook. Remember, great leadership isn’t just about where you’re going; it’s about how you get there. Let’s make that journey remarkable.
