3 Ways Leaders Put More Life in Their Lives

Leadership Coaching Notes August 2010

3 Ways Leaders Put More Life in Their Lives

Grace was sick and tired of the clicking. Her husband started thumbing before his feet hit the floor each morning and stopped as he turned off the light at night. The clicking disrupted her sleep so much that she forced him to trade in his noisy PDA for a silent one. Do your spouses, partners and friends criticize your preoccupation with technology or say any of the following?

• He seldom sees me or the kids during the week
•  He’s constantly tired, more impatient, and not much fun anymore
•  I worry he’s eating poorly, not exercising, and, in truth, he’s drinking more than usual. Work is his total world

There are lots of excuses leaders give for comments like these… do you have some?

Empowering yourself to succeed at work and at home is a journey of a million choices. But, I’ve learned from talking with leaders who’ve succeeded that many establish and rely on 3 resources who help them stay energized, inspired and successful in all areas of their lives. Do you have them?

What Works

Lifeguards: For 3 summers as a teenager, I was a lifeguard. I learned that lifeguards watch people’s backs as they swim, help them avoid accidents (“Walk on deck!”), and if they get in trouble, rescue them.

Check: How well have you asked and empowered a few trusted people to watch your back, tell you to stop if you are doing something hurtful to yourself or others, and come to your aid if you get in over your head? Do you listen to them? I didn’t listen when one of my lifeguards confronted me until he had the guts to ask, “Who are you going to believe, me or yourself?”

It is natural to trust yourself, but your lifeguards give you a broader and more objective perspective. They care enough to stop you when you need to stop, but don’t realize it. Find one or two. Believe them.

Lifelines: As all TV watchers know, lifelines are the people you call when the stakes are high and you don’t know the answer. Leaders risk a lot when believe they have all
the answers (impossible in a fast-moving, diverse world) or think they should have the answers (and so don’t call for help.)    Without lifelines, leaders lose valuable time and energy.    With lifelines, leaders gain new information, skills, and early warnings about threats and opportunities.

Check: Do you have outside experts who save you time, headaches, and mistakes? Do you have specialists who add to your understanding of issues and people? Do you have technology experts who streamline your systems so they support you well? Do you have a virtual concierge if you travel a lot? This week, stop struggling and find lifelines who will raise your success and energy.

Life Givers: By definition, leaders work with tough, messy challenges that often don’t resolve quickly. Their lives are often demanding and their efforts too often unappreciated. Leaders with energy to spare surround themselves with others who fuel and nourish them in the midst of the trials.

Check: How many life givers have you placed around yourself? Who laughs? Who listens well and talks through the tough times in ways that revive your spirit? Who is your “fool,” the one who can irreverently, but perceptively, say something that helps you break through a funk and achieve new resourcefulness? Who takes the time to appreciate your efforts?

Next Steps

If you are a leader who wants to achieve a big vision AND have abundant Life in your life, at work and at home, I’d really enjoy talking with you. This is a goal I hold for myself, every day. It is a goal I’ve helped leaders learn to achieve. I love doing it. If you or someone you mentor would like to explore a program that can build your success and add more Live in your life, please contact me. Our first call is always free. Email me at mkimbell@corporateadventure.com.

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All the best,

Meredith Kimbell
Executive Advisor,Strategy Consultant
Corporate Adventure

Leadership Coaching Notes uses real or composite client examples drawn from 25 years of coaching and consulting with leaders committed to solving their toughest personal, interpersonal and organizational issues.
Unless otherwise attributed, all material is copyrighted by Meredith Kimbell © 2011. All rights reserved. You may reprint any or all of this material if you include the following:
“Leadership Coaching Notes © 2011 Meredith Kimbell, Corporate Adventure, Reston, VA. Used with permission.”