Most importantly they continue to teach me the importance of turning my executive coaching lens and leadership abilities on myself from time to time. They compel me to practice what I preach. They direct me, as a leader, to chart my course and take specific action to realize my personal vision.
Just as organizations benefit from having, developing and living to a well-articulated vision and set of values so too is it clear to me that individuals - leaders - similarly benefit from similar efforts in solidifying their own direction and plan. Just as with an organizational effort, significant time, energy and thought should be put into establishing a leader's personal vision, values, strategic directions and action plans. All too often, however, we assume "we've got it". Why do I need to plan for something when I'm already "on the path"? The answer to these types of questions is not necessarily dissimilar to why an organization undertakes a strategic planning process - clarity of direction. And don't assume that just because you are a force of one that you don't have to coordinate or consult with others to achieve your grand vision. In fact, it might be critical to seek out support or thoughts from others in your journey - mentor, colleague, spouse. None of us, no matter how accomplished a leader, can claim omnipotence.
Key to the long-term stability - and relevance - of my personal mission, vision and values was some pretty intense up-front work and personal introspection. I wasn't always interested in that level of self-work and there are days even now where I cringe at the "touchy-feely" exercise that it can sometimes feel like. Certainly some of my closest colleagues over the years will attest to the challenge of trying to get me to explore my inner self!
I strongly believe that every leader should put this kind of work into themselves. They owe it to themselves, but they also owe it to those that they hope to lead. And it's not just thinking about it - you need to spend time crafting, articulating and ultimately putting pen to paper. It's not something that you may share with anyone but yourself, but it will clarify what is important to you as a person and as a leader, will help guide your decision-making in an organization, and will help place your career goals within the context of your broader life goals. This latter point is critical. We don't exist in a vacuum nor in a manner that allows us to easily compartmentalize our lives. Our work life impacts our home life and vice versa. I believe that this reality is too strong to ignore and we do a great disservice to ourselves and others if we try to force that compartmentalization.
What are the necessary steps to creating the components of your personal plan? In some ways, the effort and the components very much mirror the work most of us as leaders have done in crafting strategic plans for our organizations. We have experience and templates/processes already available to us that we can scale back to an individual level. Most efforts need to start with some process of self-evaluation or self-diagnosis. This could take a variety of forms. Over the years I have continued to take advantage of opportunities afforded to me by 360 performance reviews/ assessments, self assessments, or even something as simple as a SWOT framework applied to my leadership/business. This self-evaluation process may include both reflections/lessons learned from your past experiences as a leader - how did people in the past respond to your leadership? Your process may also benefit from an assessment of the approach, style, qualities and perceived values of leaders you have worked for in the past. I have found that I have learned more from poor leaders as I have from excellent leaders. Poor leaders have helped me define what I don't stand for and how I won't lead.
There is also benefit in writing down your thoughts about your vision and values as you go. You need to engage with yourself and struggle with the work of articulating what is important to you as a leader. Don't expect to come up with the perfect statements in the first - or seventh - attempt. As you know from work on organizational strategic plans, there is a lot of back and forth, refining and clarifying that is going to happen. Cut yourself some slack in the process and understand that you make refinements as you grow and develop in your leadership knowledge. Don't be afraid to listen to what others say about what are important leadership qualities to them. That doesn't mean just adopting what somebody else has said, but there will more grist for the mill in your process and at this point more input is better than no input or ideas. Talk with some of your trusted colleagues. There is great benefit in bouncing ideas off those who will be honest with you about your strengths, weaknesses and current leadership behaviours - if you have the strength and courage to really hear them.
Charting your leadership course may mean that you end up with far more than just a set of statements about your personal Mission, Vision and Values. You could choose to create other components of your own strategic plan including a personal action/learning plan (Human Resource Plan), personal strengths/approach that characterize your leadership style (Marketing Plan), how you want to be known or remembered as a leader, and any number of other components. The choice is up to you. At the end of the day you also need to make a commitment to taking the first steps in making your vision real - what will you do in the next 3 months, 6 months and year to move you closer to your ultimate goal. Vision without action is simply a dream. Action without vision is simply a frenzy.
My personal "business plan" is perhaps a bit different than some. I have not articulated a vision as simply a statement of a position I expect to hold in five years. Rather I have talked about the characteristics of my life that I want to be known by - honesty, integrity, hard work - the lifestyle I expect to lead (e.g., physically active, life-long learner), and my commitment to family and others. At a professional level I have focused on being of value to my profession and being respected and valued by my clients and colleagues. The value in this approach is that it allows me to be true to my core rather than defining success by whether I've achieved a particular position. Moreover, it allows for a greater degree of personal flexibility in responding to both adversity and opportunity - life can throw us curves, both good and not so good, but if we keep our eye on our personal north star we will be successful in navigating short-term "surprises". The ultimate benefit of knowing yourself is the ability it gives you to truly take control of your journey to becoming the most effective leader - and person - you can be.
Your future is yours to create if you understand who you are and what is important to you. Chart your course. Your star is out there.
Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCCTEC Canada Chair/Executive Coach/Senior Consultant
hadubiak@wmc.ca
Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.
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