Happy New Year and Happy New Decade! This is an exciting time,
this post-holiday – get our acts together time. I love starting
the New Year off with a whole body cleanse, a review of the
previous year (what was good, what am I most proud of, and what
is unfinished business) and by setting intentions for the new
year. I’m not talking resolutions, but intentions regarding what
I can do better and what I want to see more of in my life.
As leaders we often don’t get the space and time to take stock
of our leadership progress. We are constantly going, responding
to work needs and crises and if we are lucky, getting a yearly
performance review. Some organizations invest in 360 degree
feedback assessments for their leaders which can be tremendously
helpful in getting an honest report on what you are doing well,
what your strengths are, what your challenges are, and what you
could be doing better. What’s neat about a 360, is that the
information is coming (hopefully anonymously) from the leader’s
subordinates, their supervisor, and colleagues. It takes a bit
of courage to solicit feedback from others, but it is well worth
it if you are serious about being a rock star leader. If you are
interested in having a 360 completed on yourself or someone you
supervise, I recommend the one I use, The 360 Degree Investment.
E-mail me at chris@chriscoward.com if you want more information.
In the meantime, here is my New Year’s gift to you – a set of
important questions to get you on the right track for the new
decade. I invite you to take some time reflecting on these
questions and journal your responses, keeping them handy for
easy viewing before you fall back into your default response mode.
• What was the best part about 2009 for you?
• What accomplishments are you most proud of in the last
year, both personally and professionally?
• What unfinished business is left over from 2009?
• If I accomplished _____________, I would feel really awesome
about myself.
• What are two leadership qualities you would like to
develop or enhance?
• What are two of your leadership qualities that you would
like to shed?
• What are your best sources of support to help you achieve
your goals?
• What do you need to say “no” to, to make this year a
successful one?
Good luck and I would love to hear from you on your progress!