A Priority List for Leaders -- Writing Things Down Helps Clarify What is Most Important
As I wrote in my latest column in the NH Business Review, Mark Franklin, head of IT at Dartmouth College’s engineering school, shared his excellent list of leadership principles. He embraced a key idea that taking the time to put your ideas in writing is almost always worthwhile, helping you think through and better define your ideas.
My personal list starts with a few overarching principles for life and work, including:
To inspire myself and others to achieve a higher level of personal and professional performance
To treat everyone with dignity and respect, and advocate for others to do the same.
Then, I added a “to be” list, with related quotes to help sustain motivation. For example:
· Cultivate gratitude, hopefulness, and positive energy (“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” – Henry Matisse)
· Honor family, friendships, and connections (“What can I do in this moment to make this other person feel more capable and powerful?” – Jim Kouzes)
· Commit to purposeful community activities (“What we do in life echoes in eternity.” – Maximus)
· Embrace health and mindfulness (“The more clearly we see a challenging emotion, the less power it has over us.” – Headspace)
· Continuous self-improvement, including more humility, better listening, and increased empathy (“How do I want to be seen today?” – Ken Blanchard).
Are you clear what leadership practices are most important for your work? Are you consistently living your values in practical ways? Set aside time to write down life goals and leadership approaches that you believe are most important. Reflect on how your actions have impacted yourself and others, seek out feedback from colleagues, and periodically review and update your list.
For more on this topic, read my full column in the Sept. 10, 2021 NH Business Review.
We each have an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, including our own. Don’t underestimate your impact!