How many of us would be happy knowing the high point of our career was that we were good at just getting through the day?
Unfortunately, that’s the reality leaders need to recognize as the focus of today’s leadership becomes less and less about achieving long-term goals and more about just putting out fires and ‘getting things done’.
While this certainly makes us look good from a day-to-day perspective, it also leaves us with little to point to as a true accomplishment and reflection of who we were and what we did as a leader.
No doubt this is why biographies and stories of successful leaders continue to capture our curiosity and imagination. After all, their leadership example is what we all aspire to be like – in our own way, of course.
But how we can be our own version of an exceptional leader when all we focus on are things that while urgent, are not important to achieving something lasting and meaningful? Something that changes things for the better, or at least opens the door for others to affect that kind of change?
In this edition of my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I describe that one thing exceptional leaders never forget has to be at the forefront of everything they say and do.
It’s something that each and every one of us can make a part of our leadership focus, provided that we’re willing to make the effort of not letting the demands of our day-to-day dictate where we put that long-term focus. The lens through which we need to keep looking out through if we are to achieve something remarkable, something great.
So I hope you’ll take a short break from dealing with your day-to-day work tasks to listen to this episode, and gain inspiration for how you can be your own version of that exceptional leader your employees and team need you to be.
It’s true that effective leadership calls for balance. Leaders have to make sure that long-term planning and strategic thought are not entirely eclipsed by pressing duties. While it’s true that getting by on a daily basis is important, a leader’s career shouldn’t end there. The difficulty lies in incorporating long-term objectives into routine decisions and actions so that daily endeavours support a more comprehensive, significant vision.In addition, the motivation that comes from reading about the lives of accomplished leaders emphasises our shared desire for effective leadership. These narratives strike a chord because they present people who overcame obstacles in their daily lives while maintaining focus on important, life-changing objectives.