Stop Chasing the Wrong Priorities

Today’s reading – “Stop Chasing the Wrong Priorities”  – comes from the pens of Kelly Goldsmith and Marshall Goldsmith and appeared in a recent CBS News blog.  Marshall Goldsmith is a well-known author, leadership thinker, and executive coach.  Kelly Goldsmith is assistant professor of marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

The reading builds off interviews of retired leaders and their response to the question:  ”What is the key to having a great life?“  Their key responses:

1.  Be happy now.  Don’t get so wrapped up looking at what you don’t yet have that you miss what you do have.

2.  Appreciate your friends and family.  

3.  If you have a dream, go for it.

The Goldsmiths believes that this is good advice to leaders:

1.  Having fun at your job is key.  If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, it will be very hard to make your colleagues enthusiastic.

2.  You need to take the time to help your colleagues.  Coach those who work in your organization, give feedback to them.  The relationships you have are far move value than any of the other trappings of your told.

3.  ”Going for it“ is the most important thing you can do for yourself.  You may not succeed – you could even fail badly – but at least you can look in the mirror and say that you really tried.

Good advice to all of us.  Take a few moments of your reflection time this week and ask yourself the very personal questions implied by this advice.  And, if you come up short, be intentional about making some changes.

Have a great summer week.  .  .  .    jim