Are you a REACTIVE or CREATIVE leader?

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I was talking with my coach recently about an area of my business where I feel stuck. Here’s how the cycle goes: I set a course, exert effort, come up short of my goal, take a pause (sometimes a long one), and start again.?

Can you relate?

It’s exhausting, and it’s an experience that saps the motivation and self-esteem of even the most driven people.?

I was pondering the question, “What’s it gonna take to get out of this cycle?”?

Something else I had shared earlier in the conversation inspired what he said next:

“This is a normal sine wave of energy. When a person is in a reactive state, the axis of the waveform is horizontal. And that’s exhausting.”

“When you’re in a creative state, the sine wave is still there, but the wave oscillates on an axis that is at an angle. So each time you hit the top of the wave, it’s a little higher than you were at the last peak.

“What puts the axis on an angle is PURPOSE. And you’re obviously fully tapped into your purpose now.”

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He’s right. I am.

What state are YOU in?

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Here are the signs that you’re in a CREATIVE state:

• You take a?proactive approach. You’re?anticipating challenges and opportunities before they arise, focusing on innovation, driving positive change, and creating new possibilities for growth and success.
• You demonstrate?visionary thinking. You?have a clear vision for the future and inspire your team to share in that vision. You encourage creativity, experimentation, and out-of-the-box thinking to achieve breakthrough results.
• You?are?adaptable and resilient?in the face of change and uncertainty. They embrace ambiguity and complexity, viewing challenges as opportunities for learning and growth rather than obstacles to be avoided
• You?empower your team?and foster a culture of collaboration and co-creation. You invite diverse perspectives, harnessing the collective intelligence and creativity of your team members to drive innovation and achieve shared goals.

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And here are some signs that you’re in a REACTIVE state:

• You tend to?respond?to problems or crises as they arise rather than proactively anticipating and addressing them.?
• You prioritize?short-term?gains or quick fixes over long-term strategic planning. Your days are spent firefighting or addressing immediate issues rather than investing in innovation or organizational development
• You?resist change?or are reluctant to embrace new ideas or approaches. You stick to familiar routines or traditional ways of doing things, even when they may no longer be effective or relevant
• You rely more on a?command-and-control?leadership style, exerting authority and making decisions unilaterally rather than empowering your team or fostering collaboration
• You?may be?risk-averse, preferring to avoid uncertainty or potential failure rather than taking calculated risks in pursuit of greater opportunities

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This is a continuum…you may lie somewhere between creative and reactive, and your state may vary depending on the team, project, or how much sleep you got last night.?

However, if you find that you have more check marks in the reactive column than you’d like, three actions will nudge you closer to the creative end of the spectrum:

1. Declare a purpose?that moves you, is in alignment with your organization’s mission, and has the potential to make full use of your exceptional talent.
2. Develop new or deeper leadership skills.?I assume that you already know the basics, but are?youcontinuously learning in the same way you’d hope your team is developing?their?skills? Leadership is like any other profession… to stay relevant, you’ve got to be constantly increasing your knowledge and honing your approach.
3. Work with a coach?to define your purpose, get feedback on your impact, and help you align your actions with that purpose. One of my favorite quotes from about coaching comes from James Flaherty: “Coaching is not telling people what to do; it’s giving them a chance to examine what they are doing in the light of their intentions.”

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ICYMI…Leader of Areté provides all three of the above!

• You and I work together at the outset to define an impossible goal—one that excites you!?
• You develop the higher-order skills needed to empower teams, especially hybrid ones.?
• And you work with multiple coaches throughout the program to help you break through challenges and increase your effectiveness (and joy!!!) as a leader.

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Ready to join??Click here to learn more and to register. The doors for the spring cohort close tomorrow--if you’ve got any last-minute questions, join us for today’s “Stump the Chump” Q&A at 1pm PT/4pm ET.

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In areté,

Jenn

P.S. Looking for info about the next cohort of Leader of Areté? It’s right here. Doors close for the spring cohort TOMORROW, March 27. If you’re ready to upgrade your skills, I’d love for you to join us!

P.P.S. You can also find registration details for the "Stump the Chump" session here on LinkedIn.

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