Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Sean McDonald of MOR Associates. He may be reached at [email protected] or via LinkedIn.
Since I joined MOR in 2012, I’ve had the opportunity to cross paths with thousands of leaders and learn from their journeys. Together, we’ve explored what it means to lead. As a practitioner of leadership at MOR and in life, I have become a better leader and person. I am grateful.
You might expect that I have a sharp definition of what it means to lead. However, I have yet to land on something I am satisfied with. It may be the fluid nature of the many inputs when it comes to leading. It could be a fear that defining it could limit it. As I come across other definitions of leadership, I quickly assess it next to MOR’s deep belief that anyone can lead from where they are, regardless of role, title, or having others connected to us on an organizational chart. This tends to challenge many “traditional” definitions of leadership. As my youngest daughter reminded me this past weekend, “You can lead yourself.” Indeed! Ultimately, I’ve given myself the grace not to feel I have to define leading. I am, instead, taking pride in this notion of constantly reflecting on what it means to lead.
However, I challenged myself for this Tuesday Reading to explore this further and at least break down the components of leading from my observation, practice, and perspective. After you reflect on what I have shared, I welcome your thoughts on this topic.
Choice
As I’ve witnessed and learned from so many leaders, for me, choice rises to the top as the critical input to leading. Choosing requires awareness. It requires some level of data gathering, scenario planning, and intentionality. One of my favorite parts of this job is reconnecting with MOR program alums. When I ask them what they are still practicing, the number one phrase they share is “being intentional.” They are choosing to lead more often than they were previously. Wonderful.
One concern with this word is how simple it may sound. Choosing can be challenging. We each have different perspectives, experiences, access levels, interests, and influence. The inspiration behind this word has not come from big organizational reorg decisions or choosing one vendor or solution over another, but rather, in witnessing the choices leaders make around their mindsets or behaviors. This past Tuesday Reading, Courage, You’ve Had It All Along, is an excellent example. This is the essence of leading. It starts here and builds.
Choice also requires a reflective process. It requires understanding. It needs some belief in a possible future state. These things may happen over a long period or may happen quickly, but when leading, they are happening. This suggests that when operating under habit alone, you may not be leading.
Movement
A choice alone is not leading. It requires movement. I appreciate this word does not include criteria for what that movement should be. It can be small. It can be a shift in thought and mindset. It can be an evolved behavior. Though significant movements are most noticeable, leading does not require grand movement. This movement is a forward motion toward a desired end state. Others will challenge it, and perhaps you will experience some self-doubt. Movement requires persistence and conviction.
Movement is also about change. And change is a process that needs monitoring. We can appreciate the determination behind the movement, but unchecked, it can turn into inflexibility and stubbornness. Thus, movement requires observation, recalibration, and adaptability. I have had the good fortune of witnessing many MOR program participants on the move. A few lessons learned are noted in this past Tuesday Reading, Building Leadership Community.
Impact
Leading is also about outcomes and impact. This may be obvious to most. After all, as leaders within our organizations, we are paid to produce results. However, based on the two points above, Choice and Movement, leaders recognize that the choices we make and the movement we progress, even ones initially pointed at ourselves or our own to-do list, will impact others. Evolved behaviors and shifts in mindsets are received by others differently, and these choices and movements over time impact others. The best leaders I have learned from recognize and appreciate our interconnectedness. I have been inspired by their humility, recognizing impact goes well beyond self. And that sometimes, we get things wrong or make mistakes. Leading isn’t always easy and has risks, but it is a powerful force that has and will change ourselves and the world.
There are countless stories of this impact. Some can be found by scanning past Tuesday Readings on MOR’s website. I know there are many stories to come, and I can’t wait to witness, support, and learn from the impact you will make. Please reach out if you have a story to share.
Keep going, keep leading!
Sean
Which dimension for leading resonates most with you?
Last week we asked where you currently identify on the curve related to the optimum level of stress to maximize performance.
- 23% said too little stress (underload)
- 27% said optimum stress
- 27% said too much stress (overload)
- 23% said burnout (beyond too much stress)
Last week’s survey was very popular, with 1,000 responses more than usual. This speaks to how much this idea captures our attention. We keenly feel the impacts of our stress on our performance. Our responses were varied. Considering our organizations, we can imagine a similar distribution among our colleagues. How does this impact your approach to stress and performance?
