Daily Reminders to Grow as a Leader

If a task list tells you what to get done today, what tells you what to become today?

In various seasons of life and work, we have to recognize things as they are.

When it’s not as smooth as you like, you need to navigate through it more intentionally. Maybe its a new role or a program change or a re-org. Maybe its a large urgent complex project. But whatever it is, it’s going to be weeks or months to do.

This is where you can benefit greatly by having a daily reminder to grow.

Not a task list of things to get done.

Instead, these are things to become and to calibrate against as your are growing and progressing forward.

Here’s one such list of reminders that reflects my views on leadership to get you started:

1. Be well.

2. You are not alone.

3. You must shift from me to we.

4. Your team needs you to help them.

5. Help looks like transparency, collaboration, and trust.

6. Ambiguity is an invitation to do the work only you can do.

7. Clarity is what comes after you do the hard work most won’t or can’t do.

8. Vision is how you know what matters and why it is important.

9. Make everyday count and remove blockers and solve problems with urgency.

10. Seeking to understand is a generous act of love.

11. Listening is how you learn, connect, and demonstrate you are fully present.

12. You don’t have to say everything that comes to mind.

13. You do not have to be right.

14. A good question goes a long way.

15. Foster trust, resilience, communication, and growth in a safe environment.

16. The best teams embrace conflict and work together to resolve problems.

17. Be a map maker, an information radiator, a river not a reservoir, a conduit not a silo, a helper not a hero, a guide not a lone wolf, a reflection of hope and positive influence.

18. It’s hard. The hard work is the work. And that’s ok.

19. Lean in and break a sweat. The answers are on the other side, they always are.

20. You’ve failed before and you’ll fail again but people like you get up and keep going.

21. You provide the space for others to fail and grow.

22. Progress not perfection.

23. Keep your chin up.

24. Try again.

25. Smile.

26. Love People.

27. Create Value.

Feel free to take something good here and make it your own. Feel free to ditch things that don’t fit for you.

Print it. Write it out. Whatever it takes to make it useful and available.

The key is to create an artifact that helps you navigate the chaos, ambiguity, fear or frustration so you can remind yourself of the higher road you are on. The reason you are here, why you lead, why you care, and why you are the kind of person that keeps moving and sorting out a better way.

It’s easy to be in our heads. This helps us coach ourselves in the right direction.

It seems subtle, but it is the GSD way.

#GSD

I appreciate you,

Justin