The summer vacation season inspired me to write an article on the subject for the current issue of the North Bay Business Journal. I describe four very good reasons for taking time off. But there’s one more that I want to include here ~ stepping back from the day-to-day hustle is an opportunity to be reinspired, to think about what you do and why you do it. Use it as an opportunity to recharge your self-motivation. I hope you enjoy the article.

VACATIONS ARE GOOD FOR YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS

More often than I would have thought, I feel compelled to “prescribe” a vacation for a client. It seems that many hard-working, industrious types have a difficult time acknowledging that they need a break from work. This is especially true of small business owners, whose personal contributions are usually critical to their company’s daily operations. Yet, no matter how central a person is to an organization, it is imperative that he or she recognizes the benefits of taking time off. Taking a vacation is important for a number of reasons. To continue reading, please click here.

Food for Thought ~

To work at our highest level requires keeping ourselves in top condition ~ in all aspects: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. I hope you will make rest, reflection and renewal important components of your vacation plans.

Question of the day ~

Do you do a good job taking care of yourself and taking adequate time off? What notable benefits or brainstorms have you had from a vacation?

Last week’s holiday celebrated Independence Day. Although it’s more familiarly known as “The Fourth of July,” its origins are based on a signal event in our country’s history. Considering this led me to think about the concept of independence and how it relates to leadership, and then another leadership paradox appeared. Most of the strong leaders I know have a great capacity for independence. They are comfortable seeing things differently, having a minority opinion, and taking action when others might hesitate. The paradox is that too much independence can lead to isolation and marginalization, thus becoming ineffective as a leader.

Food for Thought ~

Leaders need not only the capacity for independent thinking, but the capacity to relate and interact with their constituents and find ways to achieve group consensus, which is even more powerful than individual brilliance. Independent-thinking leaders make a significant contribution. They raise the discourse to a higher level and are able to step, or even leap forward when the situation requires boldness. They also understand and appreciate the greater truth of interdependence.

Question of the day ~

How do you express your independence as a leader? Have you found an optimal integration of leadership independence with dynamic group process?

This is the last call for a direct link to my recently-published article on leadership self-awareness.

Celebrating independence and interdependence,

Top-notch meetings are a staple and vital aspect of good leadership. From time to time, a special type of meeting may be needed to address important matters that don’t lend themselves to the course of daily events. These meetings are often called retreats, from the definition that means “to withdraw to a private place.” A retreat can be as brief as half a day, as long as several days, or anywhere in between. The preferred venue is somewhere other than the work site – a comfortable, pleasant environment that is conducive to fresh thinking and constructive dialogue. With excellent planning, good meeting facilitation, and willing participants, remarkable advances can come from retreating.

Food for Thought ~

The content of a retreat can be focused on whatever aspect of the organization needs special consideration. Often it is some type of planning, an essential leadership function that may be overshadowed by the press of more urgent matters. The beauty of a retreat is the opportunity to customize the agenda to address what’s important and meaningful. It is an excellent method for affirming company values, as well as knitting together teams and building relationships.

Question of the day ~

Are there critical issues in your company that would merit some dedicated time and attention?

Top-notch meetings are a staple and vital aspect of good leadership. From time to time, a special type of meeting may be needed to address important matters that don’t lend themselves to the course of daily events. These meetings are often called retreats, from the definition that means “to withdraw to a private place.” A retreat can be as brief as half a day, as long as several days, or anywhere in between. The preferred venue is somewhere other than the work site – a comfortable, pleasant environment that is conducive to fresh thinking and constructive dialogue. With excellent planning, good meeting facilitation, and willing participants, remarkable advances can come from retreating.

Food for Thought ~

The content of a retreat can be focused on whatever aspect of the organization needs special consideration. Often it is some type of planning, an essential leadership function that may be overshadowed by the press of more urgent matters. The beauty of a retreat is the opportunity to customize the agenda to address what’s important and meaningful. It is an excellent method for affirming company values, as well as knitting together teams and building relationships.

Question of the day ~

Are there critical issues in your company that would merit some dedicated time and attention?

World affairs present many opportunities to reflect on the subject of peace. In addition to the larger issues of world peace, I have been thinking about how this applies to the role of leaders. The dictionary offers several definitions of the word peace, and the one that most applies to the workplace is “freedom from quarrels; harmony; concord.” Organizations need a state of equilibrium in order to sustain a high level of performance. There needs to be enough basic trust and good will for people to feel safe and respected. Higher levels of trust provide even better conditions for innovation and achievement. There also needs to be room for disagreements, differences, and openness to new ideas. Conflicting views and interests need to be balanced. Avoiding conflict may result in a lack of accountability or an intolerance for differing viewpoints. Not enough attention to peace may result in undisciplined self-expression, disrespectful behaviors, and unhealthy group dynamics. Neither extreme is good for people or good for business.

Food for Thought ~

I often think of organizations as small villages or communities. Just as in our larger communities, we need leaders to model that optimal balance of working with others amicably, yet openly, building trust through honesty and integrity, and appropriately addressing and resolving conflict. Good leaders have a sixth sense about maintaining harmony in their organizations.

Question of the day ~

What are the best ways to achieve and preserve your company’s optimal state of equilibrium?

September always means “back to school” to me. Even though most of us are no longer full-time students, I like thinking about the excitement and joy of learning. Leadership is the art of management, and as with all the arts, there is no absolute point of complete mastery. There are many excellent books and classes on leadership that are well worth studying; and the primary classroom is the never-ending school of experience. Changing circumstances bring a continuing stream of new issues and opportunities. Hopefully we will grow in wisdom and judgement, acquire new knowledge and skills, and continue to challenge ourselves to learn.

Food for Thought ~

Henry Ford is reported to have said, “Keep learning and you will never grow old.” Brain researchers have discovered that any kind of learning, on any subject, has a beneficial effect on our cognitive functioning. So whether for the joy of learning, or the self-defense of maintaining our capacities, let us choose to always be learning something new.

Question of the day ~

What would you like to learn? What would you like to learn to further your professional abilities; and what would you like to learn just for the fun of it?

I am fortunate to live near a wonderful regional park. Today I stopped for a hike on my way home. I was enjoying a brisk walk when I came to a boggy area called “The Swamp” on the park map. I hesitated. Did I want to get my shoes that muddy and have to clean them when I got home? Did I want to risk slipping in the slimy black mud? Yes, I did. I carefully picked my way across the swamp, and as I was just about to the safety of dry ground, I heard a loud staccato sound, a cross between tapping and knocking. Human construction-type activity being unlikely in that location, I looked around for a woodpecker. Indeed, a glorious Pileated Woodpecker was just 30′ away, busily working a dead tree for his dinner. I stood silently in the mud, savoring this infrequent sighting of one of my favorite birds, and thinking of the gift that came as a result of my decision to traverse the swamp.

As I walked on, it occurred to me that in leading and managing a business, we often come across “swamps” of one sort or another. Sometimes we have no choice but to go forth and work our way through a difficult situation. But it is the exceptional leaders who voluntarily choose to walk into the messy parts of their organizations to set things right. Today I was reminded that surprising treasures can be found even while we are stepping gingerly through a patch of mud.

Are there any “swamps” in your company that merit your attention?

(A “swamp” can be as simple as your desk or e-mail inbox that needs to be re-organized for efficiency, or as complex as a system that needs to be improved, a relationship with a co-worker that is not what it needs to be, or a part of your organization that is clearly not functioning well.)