There's No Once And Done OR One Thing

I hope that your summer (which is not quite over) did you well and you received a purposeful dose of R&R. I took much of the summer off from blogging tips and strategies here. But…now, I am back! :-)

With the various forms of developmental training, whether physical or mental, there is no rapid way to improvement. Yes, I’m aware that often we see marketing and commercials on TV or in the news or books on “just do this”. While that is enticing and all of us would like to have “quick fix” solutions, development just doesn’t work that way.

Think about physical conditioning or nutrition or mastering a new topic-it takes time, commitment, perseverance and adapting. Did you learn chemistry or calculus in one day in high school??

If there were quick solutions for all of the above, everyone on our planet would be using them. Agreed?

All forms of learning take a building approach, layer by layer of information, sort of like a lattice or scaffold.

So when it comes to leadership development, building emotional resiliency (to stress and adversity) or creating an exceptional culture, know that there are a multitude of variables and factors that, more or less, must be considered on the journey to improvement.

These forms of development require first a mindset of “I/we need to improve”. In todays high velocity, uncertain, complex world, having a “good enough” mindset is actually setting you up to fall behind.

Next, you will need to be clear on the “why” and be “all in” on your goal achievement. What new behaviors will be needed to build/strengthen new habits (or rid yourself of old ones).

Design your day with purpose, to ensure your goals are daily priorities and that you are tracking not just the big wins, but also the small ones.

Be sure that you implement an accountability system, whether for personal development or team building. Find an accountability partner. Use daily “nudges” to help keep your focus. In a team setting, enable accountability such that each team member feels compelled to provide accountability feedback to each other routinely.