INsight/ Alarm Bells Ringing

Manila, 14 December 2022 — How to clear your desk with alarm bells ringing in your head?

Story

It’s happening this week. In workplaces around the world, it’s the time when you are looking forward to your end-of-year holidays while having little energy left to finish the host of tasks that are still calling for your attention. The time to clear your desk, as the metaphor goes. For many, though, that is not all there is to it.  

What I’m hearing from leaders in my network are stories of alarm bells ringing in their heads just when their fresh energy has already run down low. Some are alarmed about their prospects due to an ongoing reorganization that has brought more uncertainty. They either don’t know yet in what position they will land or when they do know, they wonder if and how they can show their best performance in the new position.

For others, alarm bells are ringing to warn that it’s time to level up and navigate a transition. Some hear a calling to improve their performance or to show more leadership, while others are uncertain how to prepare for a promotion or how to go about shifting to a new role or job. And, a few simply want to come out of burnout. While all are hoping for a refreshing end-of-year break, they are mindful of being pulled out of their comfort zone.

Challenge

So what to do when you have figured out that a further transition lies ahead of you, one that calls on you to do more than eat and drink with your loved ones during the holidays? Even when you realize that it’s time to clear your mind for the road ahead, that is easier said than done when alarm bells are ringing. Where do you start?

Among the possibilities you have to deal with this, I have noted how successful leaders pay particular attention to three ways. When done sequentially, you can see these as three steps: first comes celebrating mindfully, then creating space for unlearning, followed by taking on your transition as a leadership development challenge.

By celebrating mindfully, I mean more than the short boost you get from eating and drinking with loved ones. Actually, you can already start now with a joyous reflection on what you have discovered and learned from your experiences during this year. That will help to prepare you for the next step, which is to get out of your groove—the way you have done things up till now. It’s time to make space and allow something new into your life!

Question

As you make time for celebration and space for getting out of your habitual groove, you are ready for the third step, which is to set yourself up for success to navigate your leadership transition in the new year. The way to do this is not to get busy with more thinking, but rather to simply decide to move forward by taking on your next transition as a leadership development challenge. 

By taking on a challenge, I mean joining others and working together to get the result you want to achieve next year. Making your decision early to take on a leadership development challenge will give you the motivational energy and inspiration you need to be successful in your transition. For the challenge that’s awaiting you, you have a choice of working together with fellow leaders in a community or working privately one-to-one with your coach. 

Deciding to say yes to a challenge for your leadership development will help to silence the alarm bells in your head. It will also give you fresh energy to fully enjoy your end-of-year holidays, knowing that you have already set yourself up for success in the new year. My question for you this week, therefore, is what leadership development challenge you will take on: working with a community or privately with your coach. Set up a free call now so that we can discuss together which of these two challenges will fit you best.