I don’t know why but there is something different about starting this new year. There’s no doubt I’ve had a lot of change the last couple years – left my 25 year corporate career, started my own coaching practice, wrote a book about my journey and stretched myself in more ways than I can count – but still, the beginning of 2020 just feels different.
For the majority of my own career and then naturally in my work as a leadership coach, the start of each new year is the perfect time for annual goal setting. And when you're in the corporate world, annual goals are designed to be accountability measures that support the strategic direction of the organization (you know, strategic objectives, company pillars, big rocks…whatever your organization calls them!). We are taught to set SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time Bound; and even with this level of simplification, we often struggle. It feels impossible to whittle down all that is important to 3 to 5 specific and measurable goals!
This detailed drill down is designed to ensure focus against the specific action that we need to take and the “to-do” list we need to check off during the course of the year. Ironically, this level of precision causes us to actually lose focus…focus on the big picture, on where we are headed, on what excites us and motivates us each day about the future.
For me, Jan 1, 2020 felt different and it was different. I started the year focused less on SMART goals and what would become my "to-do's" for the year; and more on my intention for 2020. What do I see for myself come December 2020? How do I want to be showing up – as a parent, as a friend, as a business woman, as a leader?
Starting with intention (rather than goals) can help you envision something for yourself that your goal-oriented mind could never dream. It aligns you to your journey ahead and the outcomes you wish to achieve – of where you want to be, how you want to feel by the end of the year.
As a coach, my job is to help clients develop possibilities for themselves that, in some cases, they never dreamed were possible. I hold this intention in the highest regard and remind them of where they are going when they forget, or become too focused on the day to day and lose track.
Sure, goals are important, but it is your intention for yourself – your whole self – that keeps you focused forward, inspired and motivated by the direction you are headed. Goals become the means for accountability in achieving that intention.
Setting intention is important for the following reasons:
One simple way to get started in setting intention for yourself is through mind mapping. I have used this with many of my clients this year to create a picture of their intentions for 2020. Mind mapping is a great tool in business and maybe you have had exposure to it in your workplace – when aligning teams on actions, brainstorming new ideas, presenting complex information in a creative way. Mind mapping has become an important tool in my coaching toolbox to help clients create a holistic picture of what they want for themselves in a new year.
HOW TO: On a blank piece of paper, start in the center with “2020 Intentions”. Allow your mind to wander creating main themes from the center and multiple branches from here writing words and thoughts, creating a visual connection to the intentions that come to you. Use color, get creative and have fun!
This is a visual representation of your intentions for 2020 that you can display on your wall to remind you who you want to be and how you want to contribute in 2020!
If you have never done a mind map before, there are plenty of resources and videos out there to help. You can do this exercise yourself and of course, if you would like a coach and strong accountability partner to support you in staying true and achieving this intention for yourself in 2020, I can help!
www.triciamanning.com
Last week I graduated from the Governing for Nonprofit Excellence (GNE) program at Harvard Business School. It was a privilege to represent CASA (Community Action Stops Abuse), the nonprofit organization where I sit on the board. I was 1 of 50 global business leaders and nonprofit board members who came to elevate skills in nonprofit governance and discover innovative ways to help our organizations thrive. What an opportunity!
We learned through the traditional HBS approach - studying, analizing, debating 6 case studies of other nonprofit organizations who faced some of the most pressing and complex business issues of today. It was rich learning that provided frameworks and strategic insights that we, as trustees, can now share with the organizations we are all so passionate in serving.
This unique experience brought front and center, a few important truths that we often forget in the grind of our daily work:
Another amazing part of this program was an evening spent with 1st year Harvard MBA students who are considering the study of Social Enterprise. Let me tell you, this is our future! Many of these students completed their internships or left the post-collegiate working world because they wanted to have a hand in solving complex social problems and make a meaningful difference in this world.
"I will give back when I am further along in my career and have more time."
They aren’t like many of us…telling themselves that giving back is something they will do when they have more time or are further along in their career. They aren’t checking the “nonprofit” box as something great to add to their resume. SEI (Social Enterprise Initiative) is the largest student club on Harvard’s campus and this gives me hope!
One of the most rewarding experiences in my career has been my nonprofit board service. I couldn’t have anticipated the personal and professional fulfillment I would get in serving. I just wish I started sooner.
If you are considering giving back on an individual level through service on a nonprofit board, consider this advice:
There's no doubt that every dollar matters. What can matter even more is the impact a smart, passionate leader can have contributing their unique talents on the board of a nonprofit organization.
If you have an interest in learning more about this #HBSGNE program or just how to get connected to take the first step, I would be happy to help!
It has been a little over a year since I left my corporate job and started my own coaching and consulting business. Now outside the 4 walls of the same company I spent 25 years, I have a much broader perspective of what companies are going through these days. The far reaching impacts of this VUCA world is real and transformational change feels like the norm. So many companies are trying to build a story of greatness in their industry so they can sustain the next 10, 20, 30 years of success. It has me thinking about a book I have picked up a few times over the years, Good to Great by Jim Collins.
If you aren’t familiar, Collins' research follows 1400+ companies over 40 years, narrowing down to 11 who achieved long term success by their ability to solve an equation: GOOD + X = GREAT. The study identifies "X" as those characteristics found in companies who made a significant transition and returned to sustained success, outperforming their industry by leaps and bounds.
I still find myself referencing this book but now with my clients. With my new perspective – a unique vantage point & renewed mindset – I am sharing my take-aways and how I interpret the lessons in this book for companies and leaders striving for GREAT.
Rinse & repeat. For GREAT companies, these characteristics are embedded and help avoid the mediocrity that can set in when you feel like you have reached “great”. This is when the bar is raised…a mindset of continuous improvement. That is it!
Reflecting on this book again, I share my explanation of what stands out for those companies & leaders who have sustained GREAT.
As I work with different leaders and teams, I often see many of these “great” characteristics. When there is a desire to lead with heart, to engage directly and show compassion and care for their teams, GREAT leadership traits aren’t so unexpected. While it is true that firing on all cylinders across the full list is what makes the equation hard and unique, leaders I work with have become mindful of what it takes to develop their personal best and the best in their employees.
More than likely, you are in a position to model these behaviors in your own organization and to elevate your leadership to help lead your company to where it aspires to be. In a change fatigued world, where we tend to focus on what still needs to be done – to meet financial goals, timelines and customer expectations - I challenge you to think about how you can leverage your strengths to demonstrate these characteristics and help solve the equation, GOOD + X = GREAT for your organization.
I have been settling into a new office space and just this week met my neighbors. One is particularly friendly and went beyond the cordial hello’s asking a series of questions about my work, family, health. I found myself opening up and before long I was sharing “my story”.
This recount was a good reminder of why I left my corporate role and what set me on this journey as a professional coach. It helped re-ignite that passion inside me. Starting your own business is hard...pursuing your passion is hard. What isn’t so hard…getting distracted, falling back into comfortable habits, taking “the easy path”.
An accomplished friend once told me:
Success comes more effortlessly to someone who has already had it…you know the path and it is easy to do again!
But what if you want to find success following a new path for yourself? The road not yet traveled. Clearing and paving a new road to success is anything but easy!
As I pave this new path for myself, I love that I am continuously learning. While it isn’t easy, I have found some specific strategies that help keep me stay focused and set me up for success:
1) BE INTENTIONAL. Whatever you have set out to accomplish, your day isn’t only filled with the things you want to do. There are a lot of things you “should” do. Our minds can obsess about the “shoulds”, not matter how small. Be intentional in taking time to write down what you plan to focus on for the week and then Let. It. Go. The anxiety won’t build and your mind will be free to follow possibility.
2) BE VULNERABLE. Open up to people and share where you are struggling. People are good, people want to help. More importantly, ask how they are doing. If you are fortunate to have people in your life who are on their own journey, support them. Seeing their struggles objectively, with compassion and concern, may be just the reminder you need that you are in fact, doing your own amazing work.
3) BE CLEAR. Leave behind any expectations associated with what was and clarify your vision for what will be. In the past, it may have been your title, the size of your team, your paycheck. What is the definition of success in your new world? It is likely different and you may only need to bring a very small percentage of your old life forward to achieve it.
4) BE IMPERFECT. Take one step forward each day no matter how messy and uncomfortable. At least you are moving ahead. Don’t wait and don’t let lack of confidence hold you back. Learn – what you like and what needs some adjustment – and you will more quickly find success in the path you are on. Practice makes progress, not perfect.
5) BE KIND. Look back on each week - celebrate your wins and acknowledge how far you come in your journey. Hold yourself accountable to your ultimate goal and to your vision of success, but don’t beat yourself up. There will be good days and meh days…be kind to yourself!
The next time you have an opportunity to recount your own story, do it. Capture your learnings. Every journey is unique and sometimes it just takes the right support to turn your own experiences into strategies that pave your path to success!
As a coach, I see how important it is for leaders to be able to access this state of mind and encourage it in others.“The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes” – Marcel Proust
In a world that never stops changing, great leaders never stop learning!
Companies are challenged to out think the competition, find a unique view point about the future and get there first...and no surprise, employees expect employers to continually reinvent themselves.
Consider this...
Lifelong learning is the new normal and the defining question for great leadership these days... ARE YOU LEARNING AS FAST AS THE WORLD IS CHANGING?
Learning new things is about exposure to new ideas. To keep up and to learn faster we are going to have to think differently.
Whether you are keeping up with the new tools and terminology in your industry (spoiler alert – if you aren’t developing capabilities in digital and data, you are selling yourself short!), preparing for life changes, looking to achieve peak performance in your discipline or simply setting new goals for your own personal & professional development, it is critical to embrace a learning mindset.
Couple thoughts on Leaders as Learners.
1) The best learners have the widest field of vision. Steve Jobs spent less time talking about software and computer hardware than he did music and arts. Some of the best computer scientists in the world are musicians, artists and historians. We aren’t going to learn faster seeking inspiration from the same experiences, people, ideas as everyone else. We need to look more broadly.
2) Successful learners are not loners. The most powerful ideas come from unexpected places – the quiet genius on your floor, the loyal customer, the direct report who is eager to teach you if you just ask for input. This requires a new mindset…humility to learn from everyone you encounter. Nobody alone learns as quickly as everyone together.
3) Skillful learners model the way. While the need for continuous learning is apparent, leaders aren’t just learning for themselves. They are setting the tone and modeling behavior for those who are following them. You are all leaders – by title, influence, reputation – and people look to you. You can’t expect growth and development of your team or your organization, if you don’t value continuous learning yourself.
SO, ASK YOURSELF… ARE YOU SEEING YOUR WORLD WITH NEW EYES?
Training, networking, mentoring, reading, seeking feedback are ways that help people take their learning to the next level. Formal coaching is also a very powerful way to enhance the lifelong learning process. Engaging coaching resources and building a coaching culture can create a lifestyle that will lead to growth and fulfillment.
Effective leadership is a journey. By committing yourself to a continuous learning mindset, you are committing to being a better leader.
As a coach, I encourage you and can support you in making this choice today!
It is rare – I have come to realize that. 25 years at the same company, starting in an entry level position at 21 years old and rising through various leadership positions of the organization to reach the executive ranks – one of only 2 women around the board room table – by the age of …well, you can do the math!
Only coming to realize how unique this scenario was and how so many other people, so many other women were watching when I made the difficult decision to leave. You see, I loved this company and I was determined to be the best reflection of what it was to me – the culture, the history, the care, the heart. Don’t get me wrong, we faced all those things you just don’t escape in the corporate world - tough quarters, ineffective leaders, company politics, failed acquisitions, employee relations issues and even an SEC investigation! But I learned from them all and no day was about me – it was about my role as a leader – how I was going to inspire my team that day, face the latest challenge and do what was best for this company that allowed me to come in every day and make a difference – and to be myself. Rare!
As I reflect on what has been described as the "legacy" I left behind (wow, still so humbling to hear!), I think about what contributed to such a unique opportunity, why it left such a mark and how other leaders, other women might thrive as I did.
And after 25 years, I captured seven noteworthy leadership lessons that are anchored by ONE important practice - be intentional in the HOW. HOW you show up each day, HOW you engage with others, HOW you lead. As these leadership lessons influence HOW I approach my next chapter, I hope they find a way to also inspire you...
I have always valued leadership development and have been fortunate to have had many opportunities in my career for personal development through conferences, training sessions, mentorships, 1:1 coaching. All valuable and important ways to grow and develop as a leader.
Over the years, one specific opportunity stands out. An executive leadership program where talented, high-performing women from around the world came together to discover our personal leadership styles. It wasn’t a typical program focused on a battery of assessments. Rather, it was grounded in the notion of strengths...how you can recognize and embrace what makes you unique as a leader and use this personal leadership style to do your best work.
“The best gifts you can give the world are the ones that come most naturally to you.”
The idea that when you intentionally lead from a place of authenticity then in times of chaos, adversity, gray…regardless of the situation, having all the answers or not, dealing with the complex & messy…you come from a place of confidence, maturity and strength. You have the resolve to lead with purpose and courage.
Why is this so important? We are in a different world…one with 50% less info, 50% less time and 50% more stakeholders. It is complex, ever changing, global…we have to lead in a different way. Modeling authenticity, encouraging people to be who they really are and welcoming differences helps to engage hearts and minds and results in a more productive, innovative work environment.
“What got us here won’t get us there.”
Many leaders are at a pivotal point…and while you have done a good job so far…you are faced with the requirement to raise the bar. You understand the needs of your organization and your people best – as a leader, how are you creating value? Some ways you can lead authentically in this new world...think about moving from → to:
Leveraging your own personal leadership style gives you the courage to engage others authentically, build trust with your team and enable them to leverage their own strengths to make a more powerful whole. This is fundamental to being a leader in today’s world and can bring meaningful, positive outcomes – to you and your organization.
