Optimal leadership has a time-frame, and it’s the near future. A startling 35% of "leaders" spend the majority of their time on day-to-day tasks and issues, according to our recent survey. Of course leaders must skillfully balance their time between today and tomorrow—yet when today’s the rule, rather than the exception, there’s a problem. To the extent you are quite absorbed with the demands of the present, your eyes are off the road ahead, making it easy to miss an upcoming roadblock or a better way to achieve your goals. Do what is needed to shift the focus of your leadership from the present to the future, and you will appreciate the positive results that follow.
Self-coaching questions:
- Is the time I spend dealing with the responsibilities of the past or present versus the future well-balanced?
- What would need to change in my own approach, and in others for my focus to be more on the road ahead?
- What benefits would follow if I were to hand off present-day tasks to others, and focus the majority of my time on achieving my vision, executing a continuously-improving strategy, and removing upcoming obstacles?
Executive Coach and President
Leadership Unleashed
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Note: Over 100 of these tips appear in my book: Beyond Effective: Practices in Self-aware Leadership. Click on the image of the book for more information.
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