“One of the most important things for any leader is to never let anyone else define who you are. And you define who you are. I never think of myself as being a woman CEO of this company. I think of myself as a steward of a great institution.” 

– Ginni Rometty, CEO of IBM  

Realistic and manageable steps were assigned yesterday to your ONE thing. I hope that inspired you! Now let’s transition from focusing on your personal mission to focusing on the team you lead.

Reflection:

Each team has a unique mission and place within the whole organization. Now that you have clarity about your own personal mission and you’ve set measurable, realistic goals, it’s time to clarify the primary mission for your team . 

 Being a “starter” or an “ideas person” is great but having too many things going at once is self-defeating.

You’ll miss out on the satisfaction of finishing a project well and won’t focus clearly on anything, since you’re always aware of everything else you haven’t gotten to yet.

Determine one thing that, if you do it, will have a positive effect of making everything else begin to fall into place. You’ll feel like you’re making forward progress once you’ve begun it.

Pushing that first domino that falls and knocks down all the succeeding dominoes is a huge stimulus for success. Determine that no matter what, this one item is what’s going to take precedence over any other project.

It can be a small thing. Sometimes getting something (anything!) off the list will energize you. Or it could be that one thing you’re dreading, and you know you want to get it over with. Think about how much better you’re going to feel when it’s finished!

One quick caveat - unexpected challenges and setbacks are common in any area of life. Avoid letting that derail your determination. We learn from these situations and grow stronger as a result. Look for the lesson, pick right back up where you left off, and keep moving.

Action:

Write down the ONE thing you are going to start, work hard at, and concentrate on until it’s been implemented.

Should this ONE thing be broken down into increments, each of which can be finished and checked off individually?

Consider telling someone ahead of time about your plans and exactly when you’re planning to complete this ONE thing. Give them permission to check on your progress.

When you’re finished with it, feel the freedom to pat yourself on the back and brag a little!

Tomorrow you’ll create an action plan for this ONE thing you’re starting with.

©2020 Slavica Bogdanov