Leadership Mapping: Where are you on the journey?

You’re starting the journey, you’re about to begin.

You’re part way there, part way in.

Where will this path go, and how will you know?

If you navigate off course, who will be your guide?

Who’s there, right by your side?

Sounds like Dr Seuss! Not quite, but I thought we needed a little fun.

Let’s set up the scene:

We get loaded into a leadership job and start the journey. The seat, the job, the title, the office, the people to lead and sometimes a brief, a job description and a scope of work. If we are really lucky, we get meetings with the boss, that direct us to the tasks and measures of what we, and the team, need to complete. Fantastic. Got the job, the tasks and the people. Now what?

You’ve got the WHATs and know what has to be done. But just as importantly, you have to plan the HOWs too.

We spend a lot of time looking at what needs to be done. What and when. For ourselves and our teams. Where leadership often fails is in the ‘how’. As much time needs to go into the ‘how’ (the strategic thinking) as we put into the what. And all of this before you launch into getting the team onboard and building momentum before the cause.

Can you apply this to your leadership development too? You are mapping tasks and calendars for others. What about your pathway?

Have you mapped your leadership journey? How do you know you are making the impact you want? Are you monitoring your journey, not just the journey of your team?

I drafted up a LEADERSHIP SUCCESS PATH for your Leadership in Pictures journey. It’s a draft, it’s a beginning. It will change and it will evolve. How will you know you are growing? You are moving? Before your next term begins, before the new year begins, take the time to stop and reflect. Look at the continuum. Right here, right now, as you begin. Print it out. Grab your highlighter. Be really honest.

· How are you feeling?

· What are you thinking?

· What action are you taking?

Are you putting the effort and focus into learning your craft? Are you learning the art of leadership? Are you too scared to step in? Or are you in boots and all?

Each week I give you a core focus, with learning questions. Are seeing the notifications and thinking, yip, I know this or I’ll get to it? Or are you taking it a little more seriously – printing the summary sheet, gluing into to an A3 art book, listening to or watching the video, highlighting the points that jump out, answering the coaching questions and spending the week applying the learning and challenging yourself? You are spending your money on this, and have made a start. You have begun the journey, but are you putting your best effort in? Are you getting into your leadership journey? Are you a 1, a 3 or a 5? No guilt here, because we are all on a journey. Life gets busy. It takes over and it interrupts. And new jobs, new teams and new environments thrust us backwards, and forwards across the map. It is fluid.

This is your journey. You can jump in at any time.

Measure it. Be accountable to yourself. There is no one here telling you that you must do anything. This journey has you as the guide. I can give you the resources, the thinking, the challenges and guides. I can help and support you, but I am not the driver. I am not in control. You are. This is your map, your trip, your journey. The only one who can achieve this is you.

Where are you at and what’s next?

Leading with, or without a title. Find your why. Find your what. Map your how and get on with it.

Take on the challenge. Print it. Highlight it. Post it. Share it. Make yourself accountable. Sharing it is a level of accountability. Sharing it makes it real. Sharing it is a step in the journey to growth, to making it happen and to letting us support you!

A new term is beginning, start fresh. Start with focus. Go for it. Let’s do it, together!

Leaders Have a Leadership Map to Navigate Their Journey - BONUS