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Intentional Leadership — D5, W4, M3 — Excellence

Good morning and Happy Friday! Time, again, for our Friday ritual: Planning for the weekend and thinking about the month ahead.

I can say, with full confidence, this week I was not just busy but truly productive in many respects. That’s not to say I completed everything I set out to this week, but certainly made a dent in my list and found myself in a place of deep introspection around my the work I’m doing with the Deeper Path Coaching Cohort.

And, after the emphasis on excellence these past four weeks, I am certainly much more aware of and intentional about how I plan for and execute my work and interactions with others. How about you? Where are you on this part of our journey?

Let’s look and think ahead into our weekend.

What really needs your attention this weekend? Is it projects, people, rest, relaxation…?

Rest is, again, on my list.

Some house projects and cleaning are calling for my attention.

Developing a team-building activity for an upcoming meeting; need to gather some supplies for that. Finishing up some projects. Have some writing to do. People to connect with. Letters to write.

The next month will be busy and filled with new opportunities. Exciting things coming my way!

What’s in store for you this weekend, next week, and in the coming weeks? Are you taking the steps to set yourself up for success and fulfillment? Are you feeling more confident about the level of excellence you/your team/your organization provide to your clients?

Have an intentional weekend!

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Intentional Leadership — D4, W4, M3 — Excellence

Thursday, again, already?! Wow!

Time for some reflection…

We’ve been focusing on excellence all month, and perhaps you’ve already come to this place, but I’m curious. What is your motivation for pursuing excellence?

How will a life of excellence impact others?

What motivation will sustain you to pursue excellence day-in and day-out?

I’ve given this some thought, as while I realize this will sound trite, for me, if a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. If I’m going to exchange my time and life energy — both of which I can never get back — I want whatever I spent it on to have meaning and value, and not just for me, but for the others around me, as well.

As I have said on several occasions, I am here to change the world through encounters with people each and every day. I can’t do that without doing what I’m doing at a high level of performance. Well, I suppose I could, but my quest is to change the world in a positive way, and that takes focus, attention, intention, energy, and effort.

I remember being told, by at least three different people, at three different jobs (yes, this is absolutely true!), that I could “relax now…and not work so hard.” I asked each of those people to describe to me what that would look like or be like, because I wasn’t sure what they were attempting to guide me to do. You see, I was working at what I consider “normal Laura level,” not in comparison to anyone else. I wasn’t sure what “relaxing” would mean. None of them were able to describe it for me. I still don’t know.

I want to make a difference. I want to set a positive example. I strive to leave things better than when I found them. And, when I leave a place, I want the people I encountered to say I did my share; I did quality work; and the place was better for my having been there.

What about you? What are your thoughts on this topic?

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Intentional Leadership — D3, W4, M3 — Excellence

Stewardship: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.

Each of us — as individuals, teams, and organizations — has been given something for which we are responsible. Historically, stewardship was responsibility bestowed upon someone to take care of another’s property or wealth — perhaps the King, a Lord, or a landowner. Essentially, the steward would manage those assets with the intent of leaving it in as good of condition as we found it, if not better. Today, we often think of this with respect to the environment, resources, wealth…Sometimes, however, we are more focused on acquiring and consuming than we are on caring for the things we already have.

The irony, however, is that we often gain more when we take care of what we have.I think back to 2008. I was moving my family from one area of Washington State to another, as I had taken a new job. We didn’t find a house we wanted to buy, so we decided to rent for a while. A co-worker told me about some new houses that had been built, but not sold (it was a tough real estate market), and suggested the builder might be willing to rent. I called and inquired; he said he would consider it, and we agreed to meet at the home to walk through it and discuss the idea.

It wasn’t long after we walked into the house that he said he would rent to me. He explained that he had taken a good look at my car before coming into the house and because it was clean and well cared for, he believed I would take care of his home; had my car been a mess, we may have been looking for a decent place to live for a while longer! Apparently, I was considered a good steward!

Your team/organization has also been given resources to manage. The question is, how have they performed?

Today, task them with a self-assessment to determine if they –as individuals — and you as a team/organization are providing excellence in the small things. Then, challenge yourself and them to go the second mile, and provide an even higher level of excellence.

Lead by example, and provide your self-assessment. As you do this, here are some things to consider:

What assets are you managing?

How are you managing them?

Are you squandering them, or are you in a good position for when the owner returns and wants an account of what you have done with what you’ve been given?

What changes can you make, to move your performance up a level?

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