The Crucial Skill Most Leaders Fail To Invest In That Would Increase Their Effectiveness
Ever heard of journaling?
Some people may think it’s mumbo jumbo, a new age fad reserved only for mindful yogis and falafel eating hippies
But here’s the thing — I believe it to be one of the most powerful mechanisms in leadership today for maintaining effectiveness
The world moves at such a pace, it can sometimes be hard to keep up with the myriad of juggling balls and spinning plates
Some individuals may not realise their incessant drive to keep going may actually be eroding their edge, making them prone to emotional outbursts as they fail to release the pressure valve from time to time
Many may strive for a ZEI (Zero Email Inbox), filling diaries with back to back meetings and call which means ‘lunch on the go’ and no time to pee becomes the norm
Some people may just rush about, busy doing ‘stuff’, without taking the time to question whether the stuff they’re busying themselves with is of any real value
Creating clarity and calm in a world that’s always on is a differentiator for leaders today in our fast paced, unpredictable environment
By giving ourselves the space and time to think, we allow our brains to subconsciously sift the important from the urgent
By giving ourselves permission to pause and reflect, we give our intuition the opportunity to guide us to where we need to go
Journalling gives us this opportunity, as by putting our thoughts onto paper it allows us to SEE our thought patterns, which can be invaluable
For when we truly understanding what’s going on inside our brains, we can often find much greater awareness and clarity of thoughts and feelings
And when we better understand our thoughts and feelings, we can often kickstart a chain of events that can lead to improved decision making and a calmer approach to external events
Journalling is a bit like coaching .. the better questions asked, the better answers received, which can lead to greater clarity and a ‘slowing of the spin’
And the more clarity we have as leaders, the better equipped we are to lead not only ourselves but others too — a Superpower in today’s relentless world
I dare you to find a piece of paper and a pen and ask yourself a question ..
Who knows what you might discover as you watch the insights unfold ..
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