Daily-leader

Sometimes it seems like everyone is taking shortcuts. You might wonder, if everyone else is choosing the easy way, why shouldn’t I?

Every time we shy away from a challenge, we lose a little piece of what we could become. Think about the times you’ve chosen the easier path, the comfort of the known over the risk of the unknown.

When the chips are down and every obstacle seems like a never ending assembly line, that's when true champions are made. We remember legends for their grit in the face of adversity, not for their unchallenged successes. They didn’t earn their place in history by backing down; they did it by standing strong when everything was against them.

Resilience is often revered as a superpower. The ability to recover from setbacks effortlessly. However, the constant use of our resilience can be exhausting. Every day, we brace for the next challenge and steel ourselves for the next disruption, always on alert. Whether at work or home, the demands are relentless.

You're there again—staring down another day where it feels like everything that could go wrong, does.

Ever feel like your work just disappears into a black hole? You're throwing your best efforts out there, wondering if anyone even notices. Then, suddenly, someone acknowledges your efforts. Just like that, the void doesn't feel so vast anymore. It's as if someone flipped on a light in a dark room, proving that you're not just shouting into the void after all.

Once you were the life of the meeting room, you now find yourself in the curious position of needing to zip it. As you ascend the dizzying heights of the corporate ladder, you'll discover a shocking truth: your spoken words, once free-flowing and abundant, now carry a heavier weight. Suddenly, it's less about how much you say and more about the artful dance of saying just enough.

Have you ever been in a meeting and just nodding along? Everyone else seems to be following every point and catching every curveball tossed their way. Meanwhile, your mind is racing, trying to piece together the puzzle without letting on that you’ve lost the plot. The moment of truth arrives when everybody looks straight at you, looking for a solution or decision. Oh crap.

Have you ever witnessed a leader lost in the chaos of their own making, tossing out orders like confetti at a parade, yet failing to build any sort of direction within their team? A flurry of commands here, a cascade of tasks over there, but amidst the noise there was a crucial element missing... listening. What happens to a team when its leader is so engulfed in the act of directing that they become deaf to the team's feedback, needs, and insights?

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, the urge to keep it under wraps is natural. We think, 'Maybe I can fix this before anyone notices.' But here's the heart of it: reaching out for help isn't a sign of weakness; it's a step towards making things right. Communicating up the chain when a mistake happens allows you to open the door to solutions, to collective brainstorming, and to the kind of support that can only come when everyone's in the loop.

When was the last time you've been on the edge of a conversation you've been dreading? Maybe it was with someone known for their confrontational stance, someone who doesn't take criticism lightly, or no matter what you say it just doesn't seem like it's the right thing.

The impact you make as a leader resonates far beyond the confines of current projects or the immediate team. Creating a legacy of trust is something often maybe not neglected, but not fully understood for its potential. A profound bond that extends its reach into the future, touching lives and shaping careers long after roles and responsibilities have evolved.

It can be challenging to see this during a tense team meeting, when opinions clash and tempers flare. It can be difficult to remember when a member of our or another team misses a deadline, or when there's a misunderstanding about who was responsible for what task. It can be hard to remember when teamwork feels more like a battle than a collaborative effort.

Collaboration extends far beyond mere cooperation; it's in the harmony of collaboration where beauty is born. A team's success is directly shaped by the quality of its collaboration.

Leadership, much like parenting, the approach we take can leave lasting impressions on those we guide. Akin to parents we aspire for our team members to reflect positively on their experiences, and to recall a nurturing, empowering, and supportive environment. However, it’s equally vital to consider what we don't want our teams to say, such as feeling micromanaged, witnessing our self-neglect, or not being given the room to grow and make independent decisions.

So you did it. You finished your project and are wondering what happens when we finally hit that last keystroke, when the task we've been toiling over reaches its long-awaited conclusion.

Typically, it's either a 1 for success or a 0 for failure, with our mood swinging to the rhythm of our code's performance. We were riding the high of every seamless commit, but equally, a single bug or delayed dependency could send us into a tailspin. It was a rollercoaster, and not always the thrilling kind.

The moment has arrived. We're on the cusp of something monumental.

Playing it safe is the fastest route to mediocrity. That's a promise. You're sitting in that chair for a reason, and that reason doesn't include sitting back and coasting, just hitting inbox zero or perfecting your PowerPoint skills. Your team looks up to you to guide them and lead the charge in tearing down walls and building new paradigms.

Ever find yourself getting upset over small things? Traffic jams, a comment from a coworker, or a delayed flight can ruin your mood. Why give these inconveniences such power over your emotions?

Think about the leaders you admire. They usually possess a mix of skills and knowledge that go beyond their specific field. They understand more about life than just what they specialize in. This kind of broad understanding often comes from spending time alone, away from distractions.

In the late 1950s, America was in the midst of a Cold War with the Soviet Union. Tensions were high, and the stakes were even higher. One man found himself at the center of it all: President John F. Kennedy. Just a few months into his term, Kennedy faced one of the most significant challenges of his career—the Bay of Pigs invasion. The operation was a complete failure, resulting in a public relations nightmare and leaving the U.S. at a disadvantage in the Cold War chess game.

Sometimes, leaders can't let go of their old jobs or ways of doing things. They keep looking back, checking in on things they used to do, even when they have a whole new set of responsibilities. This is like driving a car but always looking in the rearview mirror. What happens? You're going to crash or get stuck.

We've all been there. Someone offers up some advice you didn't ask for, and your gut reaction is to get defensive or brush it off. You might even get angry. But what if that advice, as annoying as it might be in the moment, is the missing link you've been looking for? What if it's that extra five percent you need to go from good to great, or even from stuck to unstoppable?

Once I had a boss who over-optimized the skill of negotiating job offers completely in favor of the company, haggling my worth like I was at yard sale.

Leadership, particularly when it comes to matters of reputation and moral decision-making, is a matter of deep personal scrutiny. To effectively leading others, you have to first lead yourself, and that starts with self-reflection.

You might not notice the change day by day, but one day you'll look back and realize you're not the same leader you were a year ago—and that's when you know self-reflection has done its job.

Daily Leader Year Outline