5 Questions as You Start the New Year

 

As 2014 comes to a close, consider this post from Mark Sanborn who shared this list of question on Linked In. Read his full post here.

 

Answer These 5 Questions for a Successful 2015:

1. What are you going to say 'no' to this year?
2. What is the most important thing you plan to learn?
3. What habitual time waster will you eliminate?
4. Which relationships, personal and professional, will you focus on improving?
5. What one thing will you do extraordinarily well to create the greatest success in your work?

 

Happy New Year!

Continue leading the Interstates Way!

Scott Peterson

Perspective and Priorities

This week's post comes from Dave Crumrine.

The Holidays are coming fast. For many of us, it can add even more stress to our already busy lives. 

From a leadership perspective, holiday activity is an event, an environmental condition, something that is going to happen (whether we like it or not). How we engage this time is an important choice. To lead ourselves through it well, we need to keep our perspective and follow our true priorities.

Often, the key in self-leadership is simply making choices. Saying yes to one activity will almost always require saying no to another; that's where priorities come in. I would encourage you to make your choices based on what is really in your heart, do it joyfully and do it with a foundation of what your true priorities are. 

Priorities emerge from our perspective. I have grown to really enjoy the opportunity to reflect during the holidays. Whether it is part of my faith practices or simply thinking about the right things while I am in the midst of what others might be saying "humbug" about.  Opportunities like:

• Really reflecting during all that extra driving or traveling time about what is really important to me in my life. Really quieting the mind and "listening" to what pops in there.
• Understanding and celebrating what really brings joy to others when I consider what gifts to share with them.
• Reading those Christmas letters and cards from far-away friends and really connecting with where they are and the joy they are experiencing in their lives. 
• Truly listening when I am reconnecting with people that I haven't seen for a while and making both of our lives richer with those conversations.
• Using the "non-routine" time and days to refresh my body, mind and spirit and come back with more clarity and purpose.

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions because they have become so cliché, but I am a fan of having a time to deepen my perspective and reset my priorities. If that’s a New Year's resolution ritual for you, go for it. If you have another ritual or time to do it, make sure you carry through on it--it is an essential part of growing as a leader. If you don't have an annual ritual of renewal, you should develop that time and way to go deep on what is important to you and why. For some, it might be an annual reexamination of your Personal Mission Statement or other exercise. Without a time to reflect, your perspective will be weaker and you priorities will be more difficult to set (and follow) because they risk being shallow and may constantly change. 

Only with a solid leadership foundation can we lead ourselves with clarity and conviction. Only then will we be prepared to lead others.

Post a response on some ways you refresh your perspective or check your priorities.

 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Dave Crumrine

A Thankful Leader

This week's post comes from Scott Peterson.

Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving. It’s a day set aside when many people take the time to reflect on the past year and recognize those things or situations for which they are thankful. 

It’s easy to forget to say those two simple words that could really make someone’s day. Thank you. Sometimes that is really all that people want to hear. They want to know that the things they are doing each day are making a difference to someone. But we get busy and put it off. 

If you have attended Excellence in Leadership, you have heard about “planned spontaneous recognition.” Sometimes I think that Sid is a genius. Look for those things around you that are going well and then show your appreciation. There are many ways to do this; some are elaborate and some are very simple. That’s the great part – there isn’t one right way to do it. What matters is that you’re making the time for it. I want to encourage you to say those two words – thank you – not just during Thanksgiving, but throughout the year.  

Now it's time for a blog brainstorm. As a way to help others out, please share one suggestion in the comments of how to thank someone. It can be something simple, unique or grand  The point is just to generate ideas that others can use.

Oh - and thank you!    

 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Scott Peterson