Are you at the top of the org chart and at times face imposter syndrome? Or, do you have staff who ask you what the decision is on a critical shift in direction, and you look around to see who should make that call? Or, do you sometimes struggle to balance the ongoing stream of crises with any type of visionary leadership?
For all of these very normal occurrences, having an Executive Coach can be helpful. Short of investing the time and money into regular coaching, I offer this blog to share several common threads I have seen in the executives I have coached over the last 5 years.
While every situation is unique, these 5 ideas may be helpful as a reflective practice that morphs into an active way to lead:
Let’s consider each one separately.
Determine clarity of purpose, your why, tied to the organization’s vision and mission
Remember back to when you started working in the social sector. And then, at some point you founded or were hired to lead your current organization. Why did you accept that job, that path? What is your current reason for staying? Are you pushing for excellence, for doing all you can in pursuit of your mission? Take a moment to revisit your organization’s Vision and Mission statements and ask yourself: Do they still resonate? What do they spark as you read them in a fresh light that might propel you forward?
Articulate your specific vision and focus for the next several years
Building off the review and consideration of your organization’s Vision and Mission, what is your goal this year? For the next few years? Who might you discuss big ideas with to help propel you toward your ideas? What catalysts do you need to energize you forward?
Know your strengths and surround yourself with trusted colleagues to fulfill other necessary assets to achieve mission and dream with you towards vision
We all have strengths. For some of us, it’s our beliefs or positivity or can-do attitude; for others, it’s our ability to manage others; for some it’s garnering political or financial support to move our Mission forward. Whatever yours is, lean into it, own it, and acknowledge the missing pieces to find key partners who will help you to fulfill your Vision. Consider starting with the identification of your “dream team” and invite each of them individually to a weekly breakfast or perhaps a walk to discuss your Vision and gather feedback and input to move it forward.
Carve out time for creative moments, hours, days - to balance crisis management
In our busy organizational lives, we are often so busy responding to issues, less important “urgent” matters, that we can easily lose sight of what is truly important. Effective leadership requires that we make time for the important things – that we create space to have break-through ideas – these create the long-term benefits that actually move our organization up and forward, rather than just maintaining the status quo. Practically, this could manifest as carving out time for an hour a day, a few hours per week, or even a couple of days alone and away, to simply think and focus. Try this once and then see if you can implement it on a regular basis.
Lead with integrity
With all of these tips, the most important underlying value and action is to be true to yourself, to your organization, and to strong guiding principles that brought you to lead in the social sector in the first place. As I often share with my clients, it doesn’t matter how much attention you receive, accolades you are awarded, or titles you achieve, what matters is that you lead authentically and with integrity to make positive change.
To inquire about coaching toward these and other goals, feel free to email me. I look forward to the conversation!
For all of these very normal occurrences, having an Executive Coach can be helpful. Short of investing the time and money into regular coaching, I offer this blog to share several common threads I have seen in the executives I have coached over the last 5 years.
While every situation is unique, these 5 ideas may be helpful as a reflective practice that morphs into an active way to lead:
- Determine clarity of purpose, your why, tied to the organization’s vision and mission
- Articulate your specific vision and focus for the next several years
- Know your strengths and surround yourself with trusted colleagues to fulfill other necessary assets to achieve mission and dream with you towards vision
- Carve out time for creative moments, hours, days, to balance crisis management
- Lead with integrity
Let’s consider each one separately.
Determine clarity of purpose, your why, tied to the organization’s vision and mission
Remember back to when you started working in the social sector. And then, at some point you founded or were hired to lead your current organization. Why did you accept that job, that path? What is your current reason for staying? Are you pushing for excellence, for doing all you can in pursuit of your mission? Take a moment to revisit your organization’s Vision and Mission statements and ask yourself: Do they still resonate? What do they spark as you read them in a fresh light that might propel you forward?
Articulate your specific vision and focus for the next several years
Building off the review and consideration of your organization’s Vision and Mission, what is your goal this year? For the next few years? Who might you discuss big ideas with to help propel you toward your ideas? What catalysts do you need to energize you forward?
Know your strengths and surround yourself with trusted colleagues to fulfill other necessary assets to achieve mission and dream with you towards vision
We all have strengths. For some of us, it’s our beliefs or positivity or can-do attitude; for others, it’s our ability to manage others; for some it’s garnering political or financial support to move our Mission forward. Whatever yours is, lean into it, own it, and acknowledge the missing pieces to find key partners who will help you to fulfill your Vision. Consider starting with the identification of your “dream team” and invite each of them individually to a weekly breakfast or perhaps a walk to discuss your Vision and gather feedback and input to move it forward.
Carve out time for creative moments, hours, days - to balance crisis management
In our busy organizational lives, we are often so busy responding to issues, less important “urgent” matters, that we can easily lose sight of what is truly important. Effective leadership requires that we make time for the important things – that we create space to have break-through ideas – these create the long-term benefits that actually move our organization up and forward, rather than just maintaining the status quo. Practically, this could manifest as carving out time for an hour a day, a few hours per week, or even a couple of days alone and away, to simply think and focus. Try this once and then see if you can implement it on a regular basis.
Lead with integrity
With all of these tips, the most important underlying value and action is to be true to yourself, to your organization, and to strong guiding principles that brought you to lead in the social sector in the first place. As I often share with my clients, it doesn’t matter how much attention you receive, accolades you are awarded, or titles you achieve, what matters is that you lead authentically and with integrity to make positive change.
To inquire about coaching toward these and other goals, feel free to email me. I look forward to the conversation!
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