ACTivity/ The P Button
/Brisbane, 27 February 2024 — The button that reminds you to practice.
“Without practicing your leadership, nothing much happens.”
Story
It happened last week. A group of emerging leaders asked me a series of powerful questions during their workshop. Mindful of the adage that good leaders are known for asking great questions, I felt encouraged. They especially wanted to know how to motivate others. That inspired me more.
Yet, while the discussion went well and was enjoyable, I knew that it might not amount to much unless something critical happened soon after, starting right away. And I trusted the organizer was going to make that something happen.
What made me trust her is that she graduated with distinction from a tough year-long leadership challenge last year. She knew what it would take for the new group of leaders to succeed. Without words, we were on the same wavelength about that.
Challenge
Something special happens when you progress through a leadership challenge. You realize more and more that it’s less about what you know, and more about what you show. Showing up as a leader needs that special something I mentioned before.
Without pressing the P button frequently, you won’t get far in your leadership growth. Have you figured out by now what the P button is about? It’s more than the familiar Play. Pressing the P button is about choosing to Practice your leadership skills and behaviors.
You can enjoy pressing the P button in your head all day long. On the other hand, without practice—like when you procrastinate—not much will happen in your leadership growth. That’s why training often fails. We need something more powerful than gaining more knowledge.
Question
This week I acknowledged a leader for being consistently upbeat in his communications. His answer? He said that he deliberately practices this whenever he writes a message or email.
His consistent practice makes him show up as the leader he is. And it gets results. I visualize him pressing ‘the P button’ whenever he reaches out to send a message to others. What about you and your team of leaders? When are you not pressing the P button?
In my years of coaching leaders, I have found that a lot of the practice needed is about communicating more effectively, in your workplace and outside. That’s where pressing ‘the P button’ is crucial to success. Start pressing the P button now.
P.S. If you and your team are ready to invest in a challenge to level up your leadership, set up a free strategy call so we can turn your vision into practice.