Thought Patrol Podcast

Sustainable leaders keep learning. “We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.” According to Peter Drucker. Learning how to learn sounds like an odd concept, yet like anything it's a discipline that we need to include in our lives; if we want to be effective.

 

Drucker is an incredible thinker and draws a lot of wisdom from experience but also from study and learning from others. To do likewise we have to remain flexible and humble.  “I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught,” said Winston Churchill. I can relate.

 

VIEW MORE HERE

Sustainable leaders stay curious. “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious,” said Albert Einstein, recognised for his genius in innovation and thinking. I think there's something healthy in that.

 

Curiosity gets a bad name, usually associated with the cat for some unknown reason. Or it is tainted by some misunderstanding that is for those lacking in knowledge or the young. Yet as leaders if we do not stay curious, we will not be sustainable.

 

VIEW MORE HERE

Sustainable leaders know their work priorities. “To change your life, you need to change your priorities,” said Mark Twain, always the master of the understatement. It is I think self-evident, that to change things you need to change your priorities.

 

But we rarely stop to consider and get caught up in the enormity of the daily challenges. We get too busy, so stretched, almost paralysed with the enormity and the multitude of the tasks ahead. We end up in an unproductive cycle, as we react to the noise rather than being proactive and effective.

 

VIEW MORE HERE

Sustainable leaders know their life priorities. “Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters,” according to Margaret Peters. Hindsight is a wonderful thing; at the end of our lives we can look back with the benefit of wisdom and hindsight. Very rarely do we take the time to think about our lives from the position of the ultimate hindsight, on our deathbeds. I don't mean to sound morbid or fatalistic, but we only get one crack at this life. It matters, it really matters how we live our life.

A survey of people in the latter years of their life, in the nursing homes, waiting for God as they say, revealed something I found profound. They had good stories and bad stories, and almost universally some regrets. Interestingly the regrets weren't about work, or wealth, they were about relationships, people and love.

VIEW MORE HERE

Sustainable leaders look after number one. It might sound selfish, and it can certainly be misunderstood, but if we look after ourselves, we are available to look after others.

 

Unfortunately, burnout is a massive problem for leaders. It can be driven by many things. Perhaps in a drive for success or wealth, we sacrifice not only those around us but also ourselves. But even if we have an altruistic view of life, serving those around us, there is a danger in not looking after ourselves.

VIEW MORE HERE

Sustainable leaders know themselves. They know who they are, they understand themselves and they take the time for some self-examination. If we don't know who we are, will always put up an artificial front and have a lack of authenticity.

 

Socrates said, “to know thyself is the beginning of wisdom”. I'm a firm believer that we are created unique with unique talents and gifts. When we operate from a position of self-knowledge and acceptance, we unlock our true potential. Knowing our strengths and weaknesses can allow us to prioritise our time on things that are productive for us, and therefore allocate time to others to exercise their strengths. But front and centre for this is self-awareness.

VIEW MORE HERE

The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger--but recognize the opportunity. 

When in a crisis the overwhelming temptation is to think and act short term. There is definitely a need to prioritise, preserve and persevere in the early conservation stage. However, the earlier you can start thinking about the new needs that have been created, and the possible opportunities they represent, the better prepared you’ll be for the post crisis world.

VIEW MORE HERE

You can plan, collaborate, engage and do all the things you need to do and still fail unless you do this one thing. Commit! Risk is a relative measure. In a crisis the riskiest thing you can do is do nothing. The second riskiest thing is to react rather than consider and act. Be proactive not reactive. 

Nike’s famous slogan is ‘Just Do It!’ Great advice in a crisis. Having a can-do attitude goes a long way in leading in a crisis. You have to be action oriented but remain flexible and learn as you go. In strategic terms it’s an action learning cycle. That cycle of act, think, adjust and go again. Without action there is no result. Commitment is a great trait as long as its balanced with an understanding that you will sometimes be wrong, and that’s OK.

VIEW MORE HERE

"Sometimes you need a little crisis to get your adrenaline flowing and help you realize your potential." Said Jeannette Wall, and I tend to agree. Necessity is indeed the “mother of invention”. A need or problem encourages creative efforts to meet the need or solve the problem. This saying appears in the ‘Dialogue Republic’, by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. So, its nothing new. Yet we still reach for the blunt axe when faced with a crisis.

Taking a moment to consider the consequences. Thinking a little more medium term, looking at our resources, considering options, understanding the changing landscape and appearing opportunities, is how we become successful. It’s where the true pivot comes from. Unlocking creativity in crisis is not a natural response and we have to remind ourselves, and our people, to keep calm and considered, in order to remain creative.

VIEW MORE HERE

In a crisis situation resources become scare or stretched. With dwindling resources come reduced options. Conservation whilst absolutely required to preserve resources, is as much about reallocation and mindful distribution. Organisations that can make the clarity of priorities early, have more options to preserve resources, more resources to reallocate, and more potential to pivot.

Again it requires some foresight, some thinking and some medium term consideration whilst still acting with urgency. "Every little thing counts in a crisis." said Nehru. I think that is a wise observation. Small actions and small amounts of resources applied in the right spot at the right time can yield great fruit.

VIEW MORE HERE