Are you in a rut? Is the way you lead pretty much the same as it was five years ago, give or take a few minor adjustments?
Spotting when we’re stuck can, at times, be tricky. Relentless focus on delivering the goods means modern leaders have little time to look up, out, and ahead. Or maybe it’s always been that way and we haven’t noticed.
Likewise, looking inwards, reflecting on how we’re doing, our purpose, our beliefs and values can feel like self-indulgence or perhaps an unaffordable, unattainable luxury.
Yet in a world of converging crises and opportunity, altered utterly even from that of five years past, that lack of looking in and out probably means we’re stuck. And that matters because of the state of flux of our organisational and stakeholder system and the evolving needs of our people.
Climbing out of the rut takes courage, discipline and commitment. We can start by setting aside regular time for reflection. On the things that matter and drive us. And on the feedback we receive, in whatever form – be it from colleagues, clients, loved ones, or a subtler source reached in quiet reflection.
We may look for challenges to our accepted wisdom – years of experience crystallised in our mental models. How? We could sign up for something way out of our comfort zone. We could seek talks and events that clash with our way of thinking or beliefs. We might visit a gallery or museum that hasn’t been on our ‘must do’ list to see how others’ frame the world.
It’s not about blindly taking on others’ views, rather expanding our own worldview, inviting challenge, sparking our creativity, starting to see more clearly the world that is emerging so that we can contribute to it being better for all. Ultimately this is a service to self and to others.
Stay open. Stay curious.