Are you due for an update on your internal software?
As humans, we operate a little bit like software. There are always updated versions of “us” available. We have bugs and we need regular updates to reach the next level of our leadership capability.
I was sitting at my former job one day and I received my upward feedback from the team. It rocked me to the core. I was not expecting it. I was not ready to hear what the team was telling me. I was the Head of HR and the team thought I could definitely improve on integrity. How was that even possible, I thought? There must be a mistake in the data. Or maybe it was just one or two people bringing down my scores? That feedback (after a month of denial!) propelled me into a deep examination of who I was as a leader and what I stood for. Upon getting further input, it became clear that my behavior and my values didn't always match and that I sometimes failed to make the tough decisions. With the support of my boss, I went about slowly making the changes I needed to make. I didn’t hire a coach and now I can see how much easier that might have been.
Performing a real software update is easy, right? Your phone or other device tells you it’s time and you simply hit a button and it does all the work.
Your internal software update isn’t so easy. There are no instructions. You aren’t told when it’s time. There isn’t an outline of what bugs need fixing. You have to figure it all out on your own and that can be really scary.
We all want to be the best versions of ourselves, especially in the workplace. Our mental filters, values, assumptions and belief systems (our “software” so to speak…maybe even our factory settings) affect results.
Gaining insight to these settings helps you create change. But we all know that the gulf between insight and real change can sometimes be enormous. Knowing and doing are two very different things.
You gain insight when you look deep inside and figure out where you can improve. But how do you get the upgrade software? Sometimes it comes from a big change that you are forced to deal and the upgrade gets installed along the way, in patches. Other times, it comes from people who help you like a great boss, or coach, because they can clearly see what version you are on and they know how to do the work.
Ask yourself these questions right now:
- Who am I as a leader?
- What are my hopes and fears in my current role?
- What holds me back from being the best version of myself?
- What do I do unconsciously that undermines my leadership? (no, this is not a trick question).
- What are my natural strengths?
- How do I motivate and inspire others?
- What is the “one thing” I could change that would have the biggest impact on my leadership capability?
If you struggled to answer the above, or you want to dig deeper to make some changes, I can help. Please reach out for a complimentary leadership assessment and we will assess your energetic leadership engagement or leadership capability.
Your internal update is available right now and it looks pretty spectacular.
Don’t wait any longer. You don’t even need your charger! Talk soon.