Great Leaders Start With The End In Mind

Post written by

Bonnie Davis

At Destination Up LLC I help people make their greatest impact at work + help organizations become the place where those people want to be.

Imagine we are at your retirement party and it's time to toast you. What would you expect to hear? Imagine it now.

How did that exercise go? Were you beaming at the glowing stories? Or were you cringing that their words were generic, brief, not heartfelt, or perhaps bordering on unflattering?

In my experience as an executive coach, when my clients are working on leadership capability, their energy elevates when we shift the conversation from today’s leadership skills to a vision of their best future self. Being our best as leaders means being intentional about how we lead ourselves, our teams, our business and our lives.

Here are tips on what to do today to be the leader you’d like to be remembered as in the future.

1. How do you want to lead yourself?

If you saw a heart surgeon who smoked, was overweight and had no outlet for the stress of having human lives in his hands (literally), you probably wouldn't feel confident in the doctor’s credibility. Successfully leading yourself means having clarity on what is most important to you and authentically role modeling those behaviors.

Plan for:

• Your strengths. If I asked the people who work for you to describe what you do really well, what would they say? If you don’t know, go ask! Then find ways to celebrate and make use of those strengths.

• Staying mentally and physically fueled. Take control of your energy through good eating, exercise, relaxation, stress relief and sleep habits. Running yourself down is irresponsible, not a badge of honor, and will get in the way of leading yourself.

• Holding yourself accountable. Set aside a repeating time slot to think about what makes you most proud in the way you’re making a difference. What could you have done differently? What changes are you now committing to because of your self-check?

2. How do you want to lead your team?

If someone asked the people who work for you about the best bosses they have ever had, would your name rise to the top? Why or why not? Your actions and words have a tremendous impact, and you unknowingly influence the friends and families who later relive your choices through the “how was your day?” dinner conversation. The best team leaders create the right work environment to bring out the best in others.

Plan for:

• Your communication style. Think about how to engage in the best conversations for the best results. Are you bringing people up or pulling them down by what you say and how you say it? Communication is more than words; it is also deep listening and learning from what you hear and do not hear. And being aware of the messages you’re sending (or not sending) through your actions (or inaction).

• Trust. Trust is like the foundation of a house. When it’s missing or damaged, key pillars like morale and productivity decline. When trust is strong, people go above and beyond for the company and customers. Prove to others that you are trustworthy; follow through on your commitments and match your actions to your words.

• Making it fun. Yes, work can and should be fun. It starts with spending time outside of the office to connect on a more personal level, even if it’s a “virtual coffee” on video with those in other locations. It includes ice-breaker type questions during team meetings to get to know each other and share healthy laughs.

3. How do you want to lead your business?

We spend many years in school living from one report card to the next. Think about how you would you grade your business results. It gives an inner sense of reward and motivation when we live to measures of success, and our organizations and teams succeed along with us.

Plan for:

• Being a change leader. What is “broken” that you have been tolerating? Make a plan and execute on it, even if it’s not 100% ready or right. Will you be known as the one who makes change happen or the one who looked the other way?

4. How do you want to lead your life?

A few years ago, I had the privilege of hearing author Chip Heath speak at an event. I remember an audible chuckle from the large audience as he pulled up a slide with a tombstone and the epitaph, “He responded quickly to email.” While we have day-to-day lists to accomplish, hitting a home run in our careers but striking out in our personal lives wouldn’t feel like a worthy legacy.

Plan for:

• The way you treat others. Follow the “the golden rule” — do unto others as you would have done to you.

• Your legacy with family and closest friends. Go back to the retirement exercise, but with people in your personal life. Or, think about the eulogies they will write (if that’s too morbid, imagine they’re toasting at your 80th birthday party). Act today in the way you want to be remembered in the distant future.

• Connecting in meaningful ways. Slow down to have deeper conversations. It can be as simple as shifting a habitual Monday morning “How was your weekend?” to a more heartfelt, “What was the best thing that you did this weekend?” Then get curious to ask a few more questions, show that you care, and find common connection points. Also, put away your technology for set periods of time each day. The “detox” will energize your creativity and give you more time for meaningful human connections.

These are the patches that are woven together to create the quilt called “Your Legacy” in the future, and “Your Impact” in the present. As Maya Angelou said, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Great leaders make people feel that they can accomplish anything. They leave a lasting impact on many people and for many years into the future. How will your actions today create that legacy in the future?

