2023–>2024: Twigging your way into a new year

If you're looking for a different or novel way of reflecting on the year that has been for you as a leader, as well as casting ahead for the year to come, try this simple 'twigging' approach I've been using with many individual leaders and leadership teams.

Looking across the chart of 56 ideographic 'twigs' below, choose three that best depict or somehow relate to your leadership experience in 2023. Take some time to note down why.

Now repeat the exercise, but in this case you're going to choose three twigs that best represent or connect to your sense of what 2024 will bring for your leadership context and challenge. Again, write down your thinking to explore your choices.

From there in a coaching context I usually then go to a second layer and explain in straightforward terms the leadership and management constructs that sit behind each of the twigs, which adds an additional piece to the overall 'twig' for leaders. But if you're doing this purely on your own it can still work just as a simple exercise in visualising some thinking (or thinking through some visuals); the initial and instinctive 'theory' or hypothesis you come up with in relation to your visual choices is absolutely as valid to your leadership context as anything the formal literature can suggest.

You might surprise yourself with what you come up with.

In addition, if there is a single twig I would recommend in terms of negotiating that liminal thinking space between one year and the next as a senior leader, it would be this one (just change the year to 2024...), based on Harvard's Cynthia Montgomery and her magnificently salient connection between purpose and strategy as a leader.

This is a Leader TWIG - the concept of (a)?growing something new?(a new awareness, skill or 'branch' to what you currently already know) but also (b) becoming equipped to 'catch on', realising or suddenly understanding something that is in fact right in front of you in the performative leadership moment (from the Gaelic 'tuig').

'Twig Talks' are an engaging way for individuals and teams to visualise their current and future contexts, connect to leadership and management theory and apply creative and critical thinking to learn more about themselves and others - reach out directly to Jason to find out more .