Recognizing the Need to Realign: A Guide for Leaders and Founders

Recognizing the Need to Realign: A Guide for Leaders and Founders

Often as leaders, we aim to stay on track all the time.

We review goals, have quarterly check-ins, know when our gut and intuition are telling us something is off…

We know when to correct the course.

In the current work climate, economic situation, and let’s be honest… the world - there’s a lot going on right now that calls for more check-ins than usual and the need to realign more often than not.

As a leader and founder, you might be feeling the tension of making quick decisions based on the economy and market or the frustration of what your next steps can look like in a very uncertain future…

If this has been your current reality for the past few months, I’m sharing a simple guide to help you recognize when to realign areas of your business and leadership, and some next steps for what to do after.

Signs of Misalignment in Business and Leadership

Some common signs of misalignment I see with leaders and founders are:

• A decline in motivation and productivity (either with you, the leader, and/or your team members)
• A lack of open communication and collaboration within your teams
• Behaviors that don’t align with the company’s mission
• A work environment that is leading to burnout and stress, instead of promoting calm and well-being

These are just a few, of course, there may be others that you’re currently experiencing in your company.?

Ok, something is in misalignment, now what?

If you’ve been experiencing one or all of these, it might be time to take a beat and realign your Shared Purpose, Mission, and Principles for you and your team.

Of course, the aim is to stay on track all the time, but life happens and when you notice misalignment, it’s your responsibility to assess and reflect on what could be causing that and take action to change it.

Here are three areas to assess if you notice misalignment.

Self-Assessment

As the leader and founder of the business, it’s important to take time to self-reflect and assess where things are misaligned in your own personal growth and development.

I always recommend journaling, as it’s a powerful tool to gain clarity amidst any feelings of chaos you might be feeling.

Some areas to journal on are:

• What are your values, purpose, and vision for your life and business?
• Are those values, purpose, and vision being carried out?
• Are you in alignment with your leadership style? Are you leading the way you want to?
• What areas of support do you need for your own personal and professional growth?

Journaling on these questions can help you pinpoint areas where you can bring in external support for your leadership growth and notice if something has gone sideways.?

Team Dynamics

After your self-assessment, think about your team dynamics.

Is there misalignment and lack of synergy within your team? Are there areas that are less efficient? Does your team have the full support and resources they need to do their job effectively?

If team dynamics are misaligned, there are likely several factors that are contributing to this feeling of misalignment.?

The goal here is to help you identify those challenges and create a systems-level solution so you build an inclusive business culture.?

Some areas to assess within your team are:

• How is team morale and collaboration?
• Is there a sense of calm and well-being within your business or do folks feel unnecessary urgency - we firmly believe in times of speed and agility,? but have things become unnecessarily rushed and stressful?
• Do your current systems support the most efficient and effective workflow for your team or do they need additional support and resources elsewhere?
• Do you have the right team members in the right roles??

Take some time to revisit your systems and use this opportunity to also ask for feedback from your team - what or where do they need support?

Assess Your Business Strategy

I understand how frustrating it can be to begin again with a different business strategy - and I also know that as a mission-driven business, you want to do your very best work!

As a company of the future, you know that revisiting your strategy is necessary to continue learning and innovating. During a transition like the one we’re currently living in, regular check-ins to revisit your strategy is extremely important for sustainable growth.

Here are a few areas to assess your business strategy:

• Look at the data to evaluate the effectiveness of your current strategies - are you meeting your targets, surpassing goals, or has the business become stagnant?
• What are areas of improvement and potential opportunities for the business?
• How is the current market trend and customer need impacting your business strategy?
• What opportunities has your team flagged for you that you have not taken aligned action on?

Dedicate time this month to look through the data, collect feedback from your team and clients, and see if something needs to be tweaked and updated based on the current direction of the business.

If you are still feeling stuck, a quote that I return to often and share with our clients is this, from Martin Luther King Jr.

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

The quote reminds us that we don’t always need to know it all, we can identify our next step and allow things to unfold from there. The pattern and answers will begin to emerge.?

Wrap-Up

Creating a company of the future is a series of checking in with yourself, your team, and current business input/output.

If you’re recognizing there is tension or friction somewhere in your business and leadership - it’s time to set aside time to realign your purpose, vision, and principles!

The three areas to review are

• Your own leadership, personal and professional growth
• Your team dynamics
• And your business strategies

If you’re looking for support to do that - I’d love to support you in creating a systems-level solution for your business and leadership. Book a consult call with me to discuss how we can co-create this plan together.?

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