Exceptional Leaders all do this one thing - Issue 3

Hey Friends,

First week back for me following 2 weeks of paternity and a week of holiday. After overcoming a barrel of unread emails I started thinking about how I had managed to actually disconnect from work for 3 weeks. As a Leader I felt comfortable doing this and this is testament to the company I work for. Providing a robust handover of tasks, projects and responsibilities is key to achieving this and ensuring the team can leave me to get on with changing nappies!

Time away from your work starts with you. Set good expectations with your team from the start that holiday is holiday, and that they shouldn’t be checking Slack or their emails during this time. If you as a leader don’t respect this rule, you are not leading by example.

Work life balance is significantly important to our own well-being. We are in period of time where more and more people are struggling with mental health, and with technology immediately available it’s difficult to switch off. So it’s now more important than ever to take breaks from your work. We are not going to be at our best at work if we do not disconnect when away from work and allow ourselves to reset.

If you expect your team to respect your rule, you need to respect it and lead the way. This demonstrates to your team that you care about them and their well-being.

Our people are our most valuable asset, care and nurture them.

Thanks for reading.

David

Resources Of The Week

• YouTube — Michael Bungay — how to ask great questions. Coaching is incredibly important in the roles of all Managers. In this video Michael explores 5 disciplines all leaders should hold for facilitating effective coaching sessions.
• Blog Article — Leading by Example. Mindtools is a fantastic resource to all employees. There are loads of resources for leaders to help develop their own competencies. Bookmark!
• Blog Post — 7 Behaviours Of Incredible Leaders — this is an article I posted last week on the 7 behaviours I feel are most critical for leaders of today.

Quote of the Week

“You must manage yourself before you can lead someone else” — Zig Ziglar

Motivation Hit

Contenders — It’s going to rain sometimes. “I will”. I am going to feel discouraged sometimes. “I will”. No matter what the obstacle. “I will”.

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