INSIGHTS (on leadership/self-leadership)
Warren Buffett has shared, more than once, the key to achieving – in investing, leadership, or life. And it might not be what you expect. Buffett:
“We don’t have to be smarter than the rest. We have to be more disciplined than the rest.”
That’s a tall, far-reaching order. But I can help you get maximum “bang for the buck” when it comes to being more disciplined (and thus achieving more).
Become mentally stronger. I’ll explain.
I asked 3,000 executives in organizations around the world, this question:
“Thinking of the highest-achieving organizations you’ve ever been part of, that overcame the most obstacles, what attributes/behaviors did the key leader embody?”
An astonishing 91% described the same profile; a leader with tremendous mental discipline; that is, they show great resilience, confidence, boldness, they excel at decision-making and keeping everyone focused on the goal, while exuding positivity and having a quality to their presence/intent.
When I followed up and asked respondents to describe that leader in one or two words, choosing from a long pick list of options I provided, 95% chose the words, “mentally strong.”
I believe mental strength is the achievement superpower of our times; an incredibly efficient way to become more disciplined. After all, think about when you’re acting without discipline; odds are your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors aren’t helping. Mental strength is learning to productively regulate all of that, even in adversity (when discipline can easily fall by the wayside). It’s about strengthening six mental muscles: fortitude, confidence, boldness, goal-focus, decision-making, and messaging (staying positive-minded and having a quality to your presence/intent).
Begging your pardon for the commercial that follows, but I can assure you, many 5-star reviews, praise from famous executives, and now, even an inventory run on Amazon over the holidays, has shown what many are discovering. My latest release, The Mentally Strong Leader, helps you become dramatically more disciplined. Be disciplined and pick up a copy!
IMPERFECTIONS (a mistake many make)
Want to foster collaborative teams? It requires an unheralded skill that many make the mistake of underestimating.
Adaptivity.
Collaboration requires working with people, not just near people. And the only way you can effectively work with someone is by being flexible and adaptable, because we’re all wired differently, with different needs, wants, beliefs, attitudes, skills, and so on. Collaboration requires adaptation.
Imagine how powerful it would be if your team intentionally sought to be maximally adaptable. That’s exactly what can happen when you ask each team member to adopt The MVC habit. This is when you pause and ask:
“How can I make the Most Valuable Contribution right now?”
For example, perhaps that particular project would most benefit from you acting more like a follower than a leader, more like an idea-evaluator than idea-generator, more like an optimist than a healthy-skeptic. It’s about carefully assessing what’s needed most, what unique value each team member can bring to the table that would best serve the collaborative effort at that time.
IMPLEMENTATION (one research-backed strategy, tip, or tool)
Here’s a simple, but powerful tip for fostering more meaning, happiness, and authenticity in your life. Author Tim Duggan suggests you create a MAP. That is, define the Meaning, Anchors (values), and Priorities in your life.
My own work in this space can lend a hand.
To help find Meaning, or a sense of purpose, here are some helpful questions:
• What are your Superpowers you can embrace to help contribute to a greater good?
• What do you love doing/gives you energy/would you do for free?
• What threads running through your life connect to when you were most happy and fulfilled?
• What deed needs doing (consistently, over time) that you’d be passionate about taking on?
• What would people say you were meant to do?
To define your Anchors (values), these questions can help:
• Think of a peak experience or meaningful moment in your life. What was happening? What values were you honoring at the time?
• Think of when you were the happiest, most proud, or most fulfilled in your life. What was happening during those times? What factors were contributing to your happiness, pride, or fulfillment?
• Think of a time when you were particularly upset or frustrated. What was happening? What values were being suppressed or violated?
• Think of someone you love or admire. What values do they embody?
• If you had to write your epitaph – what’s written on your headstone – what would you like it say about you and how you chose to live your life?
And to establish Priorities in your life, these questions can help (borrowing from 5-star general Dwight D. Eisenhower’s famous prioritization matrix):
• What will most help me live with meaning, and according to my values?
• What must I do now?
• What must I do next?
• What must I do never?
• What must I delegate?
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