Bring out the Olympic athlete in you

Did you know there is an Olympic athlete in you?

It’s all about creating and keeping habits that build upon your natural talents to develop your strength. Maybe it’s your physical strength, as in the athletes competing for the gold, but it can also be your communication, leadership, strategic, or other personal strengths.Bestselling author, motivational speaker, and business consultant Marcus Buckingham says, “You grow most in your areas of greatest strength. It sounds odd but you will improve the most, be the most creative, be the most inquisitive, and bounce back the fastest in those areas where you have already shown some natural advantage over everyone else – your strengths. This doesn’t mean you should ignore your weaknesses. It just means you’ll grow most where you’re already strong.”

Most people, from teachers to managers, tell us to focus on our weaknesses – that lower grade or lacking communication skill – in order to improve this area. And I think most people do this in their own lives even without prompting from their superiors. It’s tempting to want to “work on the weaknesses” because if you don’t improve in them, then you were already weak in that area to begin with. There’s no risk because you can’t fail in an area where you are already weak.

Yet the most growth comes out of areas where you are already strong and can take this strength to an even higher level. And this requires risk because who wants to fail in an area where they’re known for being strong? It’s safer to stay at being good instead of reaching to become great.

Take the risk!

But no athlete qualifies for the Olympics by playing it safe. The star of a Little League team doesn’t eventually make Varsity baseball by practicing all of the positions he’s not that great at. And the Varsity athlete only wins that scholarship to college by practicing what he’s already excelling in day after day.

I’m currently reading The Power of Habits: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Although I just started it, the book is already compelling and very telling about why we act certain ways. Even trying to fix our weaknesses can become a habit, and the only way to break a habit is to replace it with a better one. To do this, however, you need to know what triggers the habit in the first place.

If you find yourself caught up in spending all of your energy on your weaknesses,

• First, stop and think about how you spent your time today. Where did you devote your attention – on your weaknesses or on developing your strengths?
• Second, write down the areas where you are weakness-focused. Do you see patterns there? Try to uncover a common theme to your actions.
• Third,  from the pattern that has emerged, notice what is the trigger point. Do you see a peer excelling in an area where you are weak and then want to go fix this part of yourself? Do you get feedback from someone and only hear the negatives?
• Fourth, recognize that it is important to manage around your weaknesses and improve them enough to be competent and proficient. However, also determine what strengths you want to grow in. Clearly identify them and write them out. Need help with this? See this blog post.
• Lastly, consciously decide how you will focus on your strengths next time you experience your identified trigger. Set a plan of action and record what happens.

Continue reflecting on this pattern and the results that occur when you replace a negative habit with a positive one. Over time, the Olympian in you will emerge. Go for the gold!

Written by Steph Shackelford.

Everyday Leadership

Think of your average daily routine. 

Now count how many interactions you have with others – from passing people in the car, to ordering your soy latte, greeting the receptionist at work, sweating in Spin class… not to mention all of the meetings via phone calls, emails, Skype, or in the office. It’s quickly easy to lose track.

Just choose a handful of those interactions and imagine all of the opportunities for you to be a leader.

You’re probably primarily thinking about interactions where you have an “official” leadership role, but I want you to consider that leadership is primarily influencing others, and this can occur in any sphere of influence.

At Family Night, the group discusses how others have impacted their lives.

Last Thursday during our Family Night, we watched Drew Dudley’s powerful TED Talk “Everyday Leadership,” in which he argues that we “over-elevate leadership” because if we consider leadership to be beyond us, then it gives us an excuse not to expect it. He continues on to tell a story about the biggest impact he has ever had on someone was a moment that he doesn’t even remember, even after the person thanked him for it years later.

Great leaders of organizations know that to enact lasting change, they must model the behavior they want their employees to follow. Douglas Smith in Taking Charge of Change says that you must practice leadership based on the courage to live the change that you want to bring about, which sounds extremely similar to Gandhi’s saying, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

People imitate the behavior they see, and the daily interactions you have with others are opportunities for you to show grace, humility, sacrifice, kindness, and hope. As Jon Gordon says, “The best make everyone around them better.” The greatest leaders spend time growing up other leaders, and they seek out ways to help others be their best.

At Family Night, a family brainstorms ways that they can create special moments for others using a bucketful of random objects.

Has someone made an impact on your life – in big or small ways – that you haven’t thanked them for yet? Are there small, everyday opportunities for you to be for others?

Would you like to be a part of these events with your own family? Join us this Thursday for our next Family Night! Click here for details.

Written by Steph Shackelford.

Are you comfortable with calling yourself a leader?

Do you know how to be an everyday leader?

Whatever your experience with leadership is, we invite you to attend our Everyday Leadership Family Night at Roam Atlanta!

 

Becoming an Authentic Leader

At Chick-fil-A’s annual seminar, Marcus Buckingham spoke on becoming a leader. I love his passion for uncovering and developing others’ strengths. Rather than focus on fixing weaknesses, which you can only improve upon so much, he challenges leaders to focus on developing their team’s and their own personal strengths. Strengths are where the opportunity presents itself for major growth.

Buckingham ended his talk by stating that authenticity is the most valuable tool a leader has. He urged us to take what is unique about us a a leader (for instance- your influence, your pioneering spirit, your energy) and make it useful.

Buckingham found that the majority of the US population would prefer to fix their weaknesses, with only 45% (and only 29% of Generation Y) focusing on enhancing their strengths.

Sometimes the harder choice is not to “fix” yourself but to allow yourself to be embraced for your strengths. Building on your strengths will allow you to give of yourself more and become a better leader because you’ll be authentically living from who you truly are.

Do you know your strengths and how you’re uniquely gifted? Let Element3sixty help you uncover them.

Written by Steph Shackelford.