INSIGHTS (on leadership/self-leadership)
Here’s insight and perspective about just how fortunate you are – no matter what adversity you’re going through. It’s inspired by comedian Ricky Gervais, who said:
“We’re on a rock traveling around 1 billion stars. Our species is 1 of over half a billion that ever existed. Our chances of being born are 1 in 4 trillion. You’re not special, but you are $%!@ing lucky, so enjoy your amazing life. You’ll never exist again.”
Harsh? Probably. True. Certainly.
By no means am I asking you to dismiss whatever setbacks/negativity you’re facing in your life. I’m just asking you to clear, and quiet, your mind, hit play on the video below, and absorb the message:
IMPERFECTIONS (a mistake many make)
Recently, the 5-time-rated, best restaurant in the world made a shocking announcement. They’re closing their doors.
Wait, what? The best restaurant in the world is closing their doors?
Indeed. Noma, in Copenhagen, is done at the end of this year. Chef/owner Rene Redzepi has said that providing fine dining at the highest level, has become unsustainable. The intense culture and grueling effort and hours required to deliver nightly masterpieces, and to live up to their other-worldly reputation, causes burnout across his restaurant team. And they simply…can’t…do it…anymore. It’s a model unintentionally set up to be un-reproduceable over time.
It got me thinking. Are you creating an environment that’s set up to be unsustainable by design, set up to systemically lead to widespread burnout, fueled by unreasonable expectations of excellence? You are if you see the following signs at work: low energy, disengagement, irritability, poor work, anti-social behavior, and absenteeism.
All too many managers make the mistake of not realizing what they’ve created/fostered.
If you suspect this is your workplace, it’s time to ask yourself, “What am I doing to create an unsustainable environment?” Challenge your expectations. Reconsider what’s truly reasonable. Prioritize what must be done versus what’s a nice-to-have. Make choices – the easiest thing is to do everything – but the only thing it leads to, is burnout.
IMPLEMENTATION (one research-backed strategy, tip, or tool)
If you’re a leader navigating a lot of unknowns, what should be your priority?
Here’s a powerful, proven strategy for leading through uncertainty that might surprise you.
Put culture first.
That’s right. When you prioritize clarifying and upholding cultural norms and values, when you invest in “the smell of the place,” when you emphasize the importance of fostering the right way to do things – the “way things are done around here,” something magical happens.
You create an anchor. Not the bad, weigh-you-down, kind. The foundational, reassuring, day-to-day encouragement kind. You create a baseline sense of community that everyone can return to, over and over, when they feel lost in the face of ongoing uncertainty. No wonder management guru Peter Drucker said “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” It’s because culture is a homecooked meal you serve each day, something comforting, that won’t change, when it feels like so much else is.
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