ACTivity/ Your Top Three

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Manila, 11 January 2023 — What are your top three priorities for becoming a Trusted Leader this year?

Story

It happened last month. As we prepared to wrap up the year, several leaders booked private one-to-one calls to discuss the results that they wanted to achieve in the new year from transforming into trusted leaders. They also shared about the hurdles that would make it difficult for them to achieve those results, for example, having a subconscious fear of something. And there was the magic wand question. What would you change in yourself as a leader if you had a magic wand to do so?

Powered by these questions, the conversations were deep and touched with magic. We explored many changes they wanted to make, and how they could go about making them happen. While the results they wanted to achieve were richly diverse, there were some patterns that could be discerned. For me as a coach, these deeply personal conversations were precious moments, exploring what they want to transform into and what challenges they need to overcome along the way. I always welcome seeing appointments for such one-to-one calls appear in my calendar.

What I noticed this time was that their will to change in the new year started with a mix of belief and vision — some called it hope — and a healthy dose of frustration about problems and hurdles they wanted to leave behind. What we discovered together pointed to much more than making new year's resolutions. Rather, our conversations outlined the next stretch they would take in their hero journeys. One of the foundational insights that emerged was that becoming a Trusted Leader in the new year required them to learn how to influence other people with their behaviors as well as to transform themselves. Where to start?

Challenge

Let’s break the desired results they mentioned into three main areas. The first was about building trust in their teams and with clients. Some, for example, wanted to use the new year to transform into enabling leaders so that their teams would be more confident to implement their roles. Others wanted to bring more openness to their team discussions to resolve conflicts and lift the performance with more clarity about results. A recurring issue was how to improve everyone’s communications and include all team members in the effort in an inclusive way.

The second area was how the leaders could gain the trust of their organization as they sought access to more resources, more opportunities to take on responsibility, and more space for innovation and multiplying impact. This would invariably involve ‘leading up’ to influence and gain the trust of their bosses, executives, and sponsors. A frequently asked question was about effective leadership behaviors that would accelerate their progress in earning trust up and down the organization. In other words, how to become known as a trusted go-to leader throughout the organization?

The third area for the leaders was, consistently, about growing their self-confidence and giving themselves permission to take on bigger challenges. How to step out of their comfort zones and manage the inevitable self-critical voices they heard in their heads. Basically, how to build more trust in themselves. Some leaders recognized that this was not a one-time issue but a recurring one as they would keep taking on bigger challenges that would keep driving them out of their comfort zones every year. This was a great insight that leadership is a work in progress.

Question

Taking these three areas into consideration, my question to you this week is if you can write me to share your top three priorities for becoming a Trusted Leader this year. Expressing and sharing that privately with me can help you get clear about your priorities. And it will help me understand how I can be of service. If you can, please share one priority in each of the three areas, first, building trust in your team and with clients, second, earning trust up and down your organization, and third, learning to trust yourself more. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

For the next step, I’m hoping that you will decide to work on your three priorities to become a Trusted Leader this year. If that’s a yes, you are welcome to come and join us, and you need to be quick. The door to the LEADyear 2023 Challenge is still open and will close on 23 January. I hope that gives you enough time, considering the holiday season. Please note that this Challenge is not a training course, it’s an experience. And that joining isn’t your decision alone. How so?

What you need to do to join the Challenge is to invite three colleagues to form a Collab and enter together. Notice how that takes leadership right from the preparation, and some time to discuss? So the best time to have your conversations with colleagues is now. For more details, head over to our landing page where you can choose between the plans to join the Challenge. I’m looking forward to reading your top three priorities and to seeing you inside. And, as always, reach out if you have a question. 

P.S. The first participants have already joined and are unpacking this month’s assignment about how leaders work on their leadership vision, so come on over and follow their lead. Learning together out loud in the Challenge is a lot of fun, and our experience is that you will learn more quickly and deeply than when you consume a course by yourself. Plus, you get to grow your network of fellow leaders!