It’s been a bit since I’ve had the opportunity to sit down and write. But during these last few weeks of speaking, growing, reflecting with other leaders, and learning, my brain is full of things I want to talk about! So it feels good to sit and fill my journal up! As leaders, it’s crucial to periodically pause, reflect on our progress, and recalibrate our strategies to ensure we’re on the right path. As we approach a busy spring season, it’s an opportune moment to assess our trajectory, evaluate the effectiveness of our actions so far this year, and realign our focus.
The last few weeks, I was traveling from a conference I spoke at in North Carolina, followed up by meeting my family in our beloved Florida for spring break week. Because of the way flights were going to work with connecting airlines, etc., it just made more sense for me to drive. I drove routes that I never have, so using the GPS was imperative to keep me on track. Every now and then, my navigation would have me exiting the expressway and taking side-roads, only to find myself back on the same expressway 30-40 minutes, sometimes an hour later. I realized it was doing this because it was going to be more “efficient” because of some type of traffic delay, only in my findings, I think I would have been better off to just stay on course, as sometimes what my GPS labeled a 45 minute delay due to traffic, only ended up being a 10 minute delay as whatever it was that was causing the slow-down, was cleared quicker than expected.
Our journey to achieving our goals and growing as leaders is no different. And sometimes we might find ourselves taking an alternative route that really makes no sense for the mission we are working to accomplish. This is why it’s imperative to stop, reflect on the path you’ve been on, and take an altitude view on where you’re heading, reset the leadership navigation, and proceed.
With a clear understanding of where you’ve been the last few months, or maybe even over the last year, it’s time to reset the course and realign our efforts with our long-term objectives. This reset isn’t about starting over. Don’t get that mixed up. It’s about leveraging our insights to course-correct and optimize our path forward.
Revisiting Your Vision(on my road-trip, resetting the GPS every few hours to make sure nothing changed) – Reaffirm your vision and purpose(your target of success). Are you still aligned with your core values and strategic priorities? Use this as a compass to guide decision-making and ensure that every action contributes to your larger mission.
Identifying Priorities(is the change in directions accurate, or should I stay on the expressway?): Prioritize initiatives based on their alignment with your strategic objectives and their potential to drive meaningful impact. Focus on activities that offer the greatest value and align closely with your core competencies.
Adjusting Strategies(Should I take a quick break, grab a coffee or bite to eat, use the extra route time to jump on calls): Evaluate the effectiveness of your existing strategies and make adjustments as needed.
Let’s dive deeper. Are you on the right track? Or is your “navigation” having you take an alternative route that maybe doesn’t align with where you want to be at the end of this year? It’s rare that I road trip that far, on a route that I’ve never been on by myself. So when the navigation has me re-route, I can have my passenger(usually my wife) take an overview of the suggestion, and let me know whether or not it makes sense, or if we are on the “best” route! This is why we have to have people in our lives that will tell us what we need to hear(thank you to my coaches in my life), not what we want to hear. People to help us stay focused on the tasks at hand! People that will look at where we’ve been, know where we want to go, and make sure we are on the right path!
I want you to take an hour today, and maybe another over the next few days, to refocus your energy and resources on the initiatives that will propel you forward. This requires clear communication, unwavering commitment, and a shared sense of purpose among all of those that are beside you on your journey.
To be sure you’re on the right track… Set CLEAR Goals for You AND Your Team: Define SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely) goals that provide clear direction and accountability. Break down larger objectives into manageable milestones to track progress and maintain momentum.
I’ll land the plane with this – Reflecting, resetting, and refocusing are essential practices for effective leadership in today’s dynamic leadership environment. By reflecting on our journey, resetting our course, and refocusing our energy, we can ensure that we’re on the right path toward achieving our long-term growth vision. Let’s approach the remainder of this year with renewed determination, resilience, and a shared commitment to success! If you are feeling like you’re doing a million things each day, but aren’t really gaining any momentum, there is a pretty darn good chance that you’ve came off course and need to recalculate. Don’t confuse movement with progress!