Leadership Lessons: It’s Time to Up Your Game

We’re already three months into the new year. Where does the time go? It doesn’t matter because NOW is the time for you, the leader of the team, to start exorcising any demons from the past and demonstrate that you have the courage of your convictions and are willing to lead, even when it is unpopular to do so.

Reflection time

Too many times, people do the cool thing or the popular thing when they should be doing the right thing. Can you push past the distractions and move the needle forward? Can you withstand the scrutiny of being unpopular because you are making a difference? When someone tells you to slow down or stop what you are doing because there is “no need to do it,” can you look them in the eye and say, “I believe in making myself and my team better, so we are doing this”? If your answer is yes, then it is time to shed all the regrets and “should-haves” from the past and turn them into steadfast commitments.

You know what I am talking about; there must be a couple things that you wish you could do over. Well, now is your chance to learn and grow from those moments. None of us is perfect. Lord knows I am not, and I have done a lot of learning and growing, and have so much more to do, but it’s all part of our personal and professional evolution and maturation. Still don’t know what I am talking about? I’ll walk you through some examples.

Maybe you trained less than you wanted. Maybe you let the slacker of the group slide just a little more than you were comfortable with because you didn’t want to deal with the attitude, hassle or paperwork of holding that person accountable. No more watering down the training because your crew complained that it was too hot or cold outside or whined they didn’t want to wear full PPE. Maybe you need to develop a thicker skin. Maybe you were reluctant to admit that you made a bad call on that one incident, thereby preventing yourself and your crew from learning from the mistake—no, not mistake, teachable moment. Maybe you feared introducing a new way of doing something because it could be too radical of a departure from “that’s the way we have always done it,” a phrase that should be outlawed, in one man’s opinion. 

There is no better time to hold yourself accountable than right now. Now is your time for the “do-overs” from the actions (or non-actions) we regret. 

I can hear the excuses forming already. Yes, crews change, this variable and that variable may be different. Enough! Things change, but what are you going to do about that—make excuses that you don’t need to train more, that you don’t need to admit your mistakes, that “going with the flow” is the best thing for you and the next generation of leaders? No, you are going to get your butt in gear and use your do-over, but hurry, only nine full months left. As the old saying goes, “be the change you want to see in the world” (and other people). 

Now, if none of this applies to you, that’s outstanding! You can think about it this way: NOW is the time to up your game and do even more this year because what you did in the past is merely a foundation to continually build upon, not rest upon. NOW. This is your time to step up to the plate and get out of your comfort zone.

Be better

If your goal is to be the most popular or liked leader, your goals suck. If your goal is to train yourself and your crew to be the best they can be, even if it means leaving the dreaded and feared comfort zone, a tip of the hat to you. Be infectious in spreading that attitude to your crew, to the shift, to the department. Everyone—your crew, your organization, your community and the people at home—are counting on you being better than you were last year. You have to be; any other option is simply NOT available.