High Performance Leadership

Are your problems all work and no play? I know how that feels. The more work they seem the less likely I am to work on them, which means that they then don't get solved. That's not what I want. When we look at problem solving as a chore it's not wonder that we avoid it. Why would we ever subject ourselves to actions that cause us discomfort or inordinate amounts of work? But, problems are more than that. In addition to the satisfaction of actually solving a problem, the process of solving a problem can also be filled with joy. The process of solving problems brings us together with those we collaborate. It increases our need (and ability) to be creative. It develops the courage it takes to confront issues. It builds more compassion within us for those who share similar (or worse) problems. And the focus that we can feel while in the process to solve problems helps us to feel even more alive. When we are focused, when we are centered, solving problems makes us more of ...

How long does it take to achieve your biggest goals? Even if we're on track, big goals take a while to achieve. There's much work to do in the mean time. Team members can become discouraged or distracted. What's a leader to do? Centered leaders create joy within their goal achievements. There are many ways to do this, including: - Recognizing great efforts - Increasing one-on-one communication - Coaching frequently - Smiling! - Debriefing mistakes and looking for opportunities - Celebrating both personal and team milestones - Remembering birthdays and anniversaries - Demonstrating progress thru metrics or charts - Building enthusiasm What ways can you think of to create joy within your team as you move forward toward your goals? -- Douglas Brent Smith

How long does it take to achieve your biggest goals? Even if we're on track, big goals take a while to achieve. There's much work to do in the mean time, and progress is not always obvious. People look around to see where the excitement is. Team members can become discouraged or distracted. What's a leader to do? Centered leaders create joy within their goal achievements. Joy that goes beyond accomplishment. Joy that comes from an inner, centered satisfaction in doing the right things and focusing on what matters. Intrinsic joy manifested by extrinsic celebrations. There are many ways to do this, including: - Recognizing great efforts - Increasing one-on-one communication - Coaching frequently - Smiling! - Debriefing mistakes and looking for opportunities - Celebrating both personal and team milestones - Remembering birthdays and anniversaries - Demonstrating progress thru metrics or charts - Building enthusiasm What ways can you think of to create joy within your team as y...

How do leaders (or anyone else for that matter) increase their happiness? How can you increase your joy? One way is to be aware of joy when it happens. For many people (hopefully) that happens many times a day. To multiply those feelings it's necessary to first truly feel them, savor them, and reflect on your role in creating those feelings. We have far more to do with creating our own happiness than we'll likely ever know. Embrace your moments of joy in order to multiply them. With enough practice, happiness becomes a way of life. Wouldn't you rather work with a happy leader than an unhappy one? So in a way you owe it to your work as a leader to embrace happiness. - Think about your most recent "rush" of happiness. Experience it again by thinking about it with sincere appreciation. - Who can you help create a moment of joy today by bringing your own joy into the room? -- Douglas Brent Smith Teleclasses and Workshops for Front Line Supervisors