Less opinions, less stress

PLUS: Eight practices of self leadership

Good Morning. For the next 5 minutes, your career is the most important thing.

In today’s email:

  • Eight practices of self leadership

  • Nelson Mandela’s stillness was charismatic

  • Work binges are tempting but

  • Less opinions, less stress

  • Avoiding drama triangles

ON YOUR CAREER

Eight practices of self leadership

We want to work for competent and generous leaders. There will be times in most of our careers when we will be dissatisfied with how we are being led. We can, however, lead ourselves.

Here are eight practices of self leadership to help you achieve your work goals:

  1. Engage in peer coaching

  2. Focus on delivering value to colleagues and customers

  3. Pursue motivating goals

  4. Bring a high level of energy each day

  5. Have a twelve-month learning plan for your job

  6. Write and speak persuasively

  7. Foster resilience by focusing on what is within your control

  8. Nurture your network of allies and sponsors

Self leadership is a foundation of successful people leadership.

Mastering others is strength; mastering oneself is true power

– Lao Tsu
COMMUNICATION

Nelson Mandela’s stillness was charismatic

Nelson Mandela was renowned for his calm, dignified presence. He could sit still and listen. Mandela communicated with his body language that he was present for his audience. This drew others to him. It was part of his charisma.

Before any significant meeting, still yourself. Stillness is the state where you can model the energy and emotions you choose. Don’t fidget when you are listening to others. Being still communicates you are treating their interests seriously. This will draw people to you.

It's what I learn from the great actors that I work with. Stillness. That's all and that's the hardest thing.

– Morgan Freeman
PRODUCTIVITY

Work binges are tempting but

There are times when we have urgent opportunities and threats at work that lead to us pulling an all-nighter. Sometimes we will also work very late, getting inadequate sleep, to stay on a roll. Work binges are tempting. But they are the enemy of productivity. Tiredness in the days following work bingeing means we are overall less productive than if we had stopped for normal sleep. A balanced approach to sleep and work is a good short and long term strategy. Sleep = productivity.

1 MINUTE TO LOWER STRESS

Less opinions, less stress

Source: Living Stills/GIPHY

An executive I coached had the habit of offering many unsolicited opinions to his colleagues. These ranged from work to what car a person should buy. He was a know-it-all, annoying, and a cause of arguments. Unanimous in his 360 feedback was to offer less opinions. He made the change. And offering less opinions meant less stress for everyone

You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.

– Marcus Aurelius
GET SMARTER

Avoiding drama triangles

Workplaces are filled by heightened emotions. There is often drama between colleagues. Others can seek to draw us into their gossip and arguments, distracting us from our work goals. It’s not our responsibility to rescue others from conflicts that have little to do with us. These are excellent opportunities to ‘own the option of having no opinion’.

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