Leaders are defined by their desire to grow and develop in order to meet the ever-changing needs of their organization, creating positive outcomes for all. This desire becomes a lifelong quest as each achievement builds on the next and opens the doors to new and more compelling leadership challenges. By the very nature of this process, you as a leader need a way to stay centered. Consistently stepping up to new challenges and facing them head-on can often turn into busy days, long nights, and stress over meeting deadlines, managing teams, achieving goals and finding a way to balance productivity and strategy. A centered leader combines good management skills with the ability to work with and through others to accomplish compelling goals and vision.

While it may seem counter-intuitive to step back and become centered, in the end it leads to saving time, reaching goals and reducing stress. The following practices will help you stay centered in your leadership, improve clarity and gain wisdom:

Define Your Daily Purpose

Set your intent each morning and identify the key strategic areas which require your focus, capabilities, engagement and energy. This will make the greatest difference for yourself and the goals necessary to achieve your desires.

Try it: Use my daily journal, The Practice of Success Planner

Challenge Your Thinking

While it is easy to get seduced by your own thinking, especially when your ideas create achievements, there are thousands of other ideas and ways to get work done, make things happen, and achieve goals. Keep your mind open and flexible. Listen for ideas that can create an even better solution.

Practice these five techniques to strengthen your listening skills

Keep Learning

Fostering your own learning in other avenues will expand your worldview and your capacity in decision-making resulting in new and better outcomes for you and your team. It’s part of healthful balance for the mind to learn and grow in myriad ways.

Try it:

• Read a chapter from a book that is not your normal genre of reading.
• Have someone teach you a new skill.
• Explore knowledge in areas that are not natural to you. 

Nothing left to l earn? Watch this:

Appreciate

After beginning your day with strategy and purpose, end your day with 5 gratitude salutations. Not simply a list, but a practice of thanking at least 5 people per day for their work in supporting your capacity to move ideas and programs forward. This appreciation will sustain your connection with others and keep you grounded in the fundamentals of success.

Try it:

• Write a note – handwritten, email, or private/public chat message.
• Pick up the phone to talk live.
• Face-to-face – stop into their office, video conference on your tool of choice

These four practices will provide you with a solid foundation to create and sustain your ongoing achievements. They will keep you centered by managing your focus and communications.

Stay centered,

Bobbie