6 to Success - February 2024

It’s February — Was January everything you wanted it to be? What would you like to change by March?

Welcome! In case you haven’t read 6toSuccess before, here’s what to expect. Every month, I post six abbreviated leadership insights or tips. I’ll also answer your questions in a column and share some of my publications and media appearances. I invite you to read 6 to Success and share your thoughts or questions.

ONE

(Tip) One Down, Eleven More to Go.

How was January for you? Since we discovered that there is no such thing as permanent work-life balance, were you able to create new habits that are attainable AND sustainable? Remember: consistently achieving small goals means more than infrequently achieving ambitious ones.

Consider a new way to think about habits. Rather than setting the bar too high and losing momentum due to disappointment and frustration? — adjust the height to stay just in reach of your goals each day. Consider how much more you can achieve this way.?

TWO

(Media) We Shouldn’t Think About Work After Hours

The conventional wisdom among most managers is that working harder and longer hours means they’ll be more effective managers. But this simply isn’t true.

A new study, conducted by researchers documented in Harvard Business Review , found that constant rumination about work leads to depleted, less capable management.?This was particularly true for less-experienced managers.

The solution? Find a way to detach after work, so you can live a robust, multifaceted life and come back to the office invigorated rather than drained.

What steps would you need to take to detach from work each evening?

THREE

(Tip) Your Next Big Idea Will Come From a Hobby

While you certainly deserve a break after work, keep in mind by “detach” I don’t only mean relax and catch up on your growing TV backlog. These moments outside of work are a chance to broaden your horizons. Maybe you want to begin hiking, gardening, or learning about the history of your industry. Perhaps you’re a fledgling writer with a hit screenplay idea. Perhaps woodworking or pottery gets you into that sought-after “flow” state.

Regardless, follow that passion simply because it’s there. Inevitably, no matter what field you’re in professionally, you’ll find that what you learn outside the office enriches how you lead within it. Novel ideas, magnetic leadership, and outside-the-box strategies come from these unique experiences. So don’t just detach from work — connect with play in your life!

FOUR

(Media) Leaders are Trustees of their Team’s Time

Beyond simply gathering and pointing people in a direction, leaders are responsible for the time burdens and office obstacles their teams face. Rather than expecting employees to overcome those hurdles and achieve the same quality of work, leaders should ask if those burdens are necessary to begin with.

In other words, leaders must prevent, as two Stanford researchers call it, “addition sickness” — the tendency to lead by adding unnecessary rules, tools, roles, and procedures that only stifle creativity and productivity.

So, what’s the solution?

Broadening our understanding of leadership to include not only adding things but also subtracting them. Let’s take a look at what that might mean…

FIVE

(Tip) Solving “Addition Sickness”

According to the researchers, leaders should evaluate their teams’ activities and remove friction and frustration where they find it, freeing up energy to be spent in more fruitful ways. If productivity is low and exhaustion is high, amping up productivity quotas only increases exhaustion.?

The result is a never-ending cycle of unproductivity,? driven by stricter rules and endless deadlines to “fix” the problem.? Leaders are trustees of their team’s time;? they are challenged with streamlining processes, changing up the rules, and managing priorities.

First step, find out from our team what obstacles are in their way and find a way to move them.

SIX

(Column) Ask John

Question:? How can I improve my leadership skills?

Answer: I get asked this question a lot because it reflects a concern most managers have about continuously seeking to enhance their ability to lead themselves and others.?

For those leaders who want to drive organizational success and foster a positive workplace culture, think about the outcome you want to achieve (what you want to HAVE), who you need to be to achieve that outcome (BE), and what you need to do (DO).

We call this model Be-Do-Have. Create three columns, one for BE, another for DO, and the final one for HAVE.

Start with HAVE. Write down what you want to achieve. Then think about BE and what beliefs or behaviors are not serving you that could be replaced by new beliefs that could serve you better. Next, outline the DO column.

What do you need to do, now that you have these new thoughts and behaviors, to achieve your HAVE outcomes?

I would love to hear from you. If you have question, share it here .