Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Anthony Briscoe, Executive Director of IT, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago and a MOR program participant. Anthony may be reached at [email protected] or via LinkedIn.
Since my first MOR workshop, forming new habits has been rewarding and stretching. Many have made adaptive changes, such as defensive calendaring, implementing Stand-Up Mondays and Stand-Down Fridays, committing to weekly reflections, and receiving coaching to clarify our goals, without abandoning the practices that help us grow.
This leadership journey is work.
In today’s political climate and evolving educational ecosystem, we are called to rise to the occasion and be our best, not just for our universities, but for everyone who counts on our leadership. We’re being asked to more wisely steward our resources of time, money, and human capital. We’re called to be innovative, consistent, efficient, and effective. Let’s be real: it’s mentally and emotionally exhausting making tough decisions around attrition – deciding who stays, goes, or moves to a different department. The demands feel endless. Overwhelmed? You don’t have to stay there.
I’ve learned that when I commit to doing MOR, I don’t have to do more. The tools we’ve been given, along with the habits I shared earlier, are part of the empowerment journey.
It’s stretching but forming H.A.B.I.T.S. means we:
- Honor the mission
- Act on the vision
- Believe in the people
- Inspire change
- Transform through our values, and
- Serve with excellence
These might sound lofty, but it’s still hard. Some days, I’d rather “do more” just to avoid the deeper MOR work. But in those moments, I lean into my MOR community, the coaching, the sharing. That’s where the strength comes from.
I’ve spoken with past MOR participants at my university who shared how refreshing their leadership became after completing the MOR program. So, when you feel like you’re running on empty, lean into the community; when you’re tired, lean on the experience of others. When you feel lost, lean into the journey. Even in seasons of change, MOR remains a steady compass of guiding principles and North Stars.
Prioritize yourself so you can prioritize others. These days, when it comes to my time, I’m learning to be a little selfish so I can be selfless in service to those I lead. Give yourself space and grace.
Don’t do less. Don’t necessarily do more. Do MOR.
In which way could your habits use the most work?
Last week, we asked which strategy is most helpful in evolving how you form new habits.
- 21% said consider your natural rhythms
- 20% said experiment and adapt
- 20% said start small and customize
- 20% said leverage your environment
- 19% said right incentives
To form or change a habit calls for a recipe that balances all the right ingredients. We need to pick the right motivators and environments that ensure we achieve consistency. Equally, if we try to overhaul our habits too quickly, we’re likely to grow frustrated and fizzle out, so we must start small. And lastly, it’s crucial that we experiment and reflect (taste test!) as we progress. We can make tweaks as we go along to get us closer to that perfect sweet spot.