February 2023
Welcome back to the Executive Aid Station newsletter. In our new compact format, we talk about common “curveballs” that leaders have to cope with—and provide some practical, science-based advice to help add value to your busy and challenging day.
– CURVEBALL OF THE MONTH –
Just when it seemed we’d all gotten through the most recent rounds of layoffs, there came more tough news for tech workers. While economic forecasters are indicating that the worst might be over, the fallout from these actions will have a lasting impact on leaders and their teams for months to come.
One of the more common “curveballs” to come along with all these layoffs and reorgs is that you often end up reporting to someone new. Sometimes that ends up being a positive thing; maybe your new boss is someone you’ve admired and a talented leader who actively supports his team. In other cases, it could be a much less desirable change, a situation that could be seen as a step backward for you—possibly even a career derailer.
You may think you have no choice in this matter. But, even in this constantly changing environment, you actually do have options—and you can use your personal agency to influence where you land.
In fact, this can be the perfect opportunity to develop internal, cross-functional partnerships to help solve increasingly complex problems within your organization.
When I meet with leaders in this situation, I encourage them to ask these questions:
- Who else in the organization does your team support?
- Where does your work intersect with other functions?
- Where might you and your team better fit to deploy your skillsets?
- How could this change increase your value contribution to the organization?
Asking yourself these questions while things are in flux could mean the difference between just another stop on the reporting structure carousel and a path forward that creates real possibilities for you and your team.
– GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK! –
NOMOPHOBOIA:
The anxiety caused by not having access to your phone.
I’m just going to say it: It’s time to ditch your phone. OK, maybe not a complete tech detox. That would be pretty dramatic, and probably too big a hit to your personal and professional productivity.
But taking a break from the screen really will help bring balance to your life.
For example: I live in an area in San Francisco where many people walk their dogs. But almost everyone I see has their face in their phone, not even watching what their pup is doing. For me, I consider this a special time to relax and recharge with my dogs. I put my phone away so I can pay attention to them and everything that’s going on around us.
Do you (or your family members) have your phones on and available during meals? Do you place your phone next to your bed so you can grab it to check messages as soon as you wake up—or, worse, in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep?
STOP. Just stop.
You are setting expectations that you are always available, which is crazy and can be harmful to your health and well-being. We all need a break to not think about anything, so we can recharge for the times when we do need to be “on.”
Science has proven that soaking up “real time” instead of screen time will ease anxiety, increase happiness, reduce those technology cravings, and allow you to connect more with the people in your life.
So give it a try! And send me a quick note to let me know how it goes.
– CHECK THIS OUT… –
If you followed my “Gnar Quest” last year, you know that I am a big devotee of author Steven Kotler, an expert practitioner of extreme performance improvement. There are so many “armchair experts” who write, but don’t do. Not Kotler. He’s a man who always lives what he writes, and in the case of his new book, Gnar Country: Growing Old, Staying Rad, writes what he lives.
In this refreshingly raw narrative about his quest to become an expert skier at age 53, Kotler personally proves that aging is actually a gateway to exploring new levels of our performance potential—and shows us how to do it. He combines decades of studying and decoding peak performance aging and shows us all what’s possible in the second half of our lives. The book will be officially released on February 28. I encourage you to check it out!
“You can't fight your biology. You have to forgive your history.”
- Steven Kotler
– HELPING YOU NAVIGATE THROUGH UNCERTAINTY –
These are challenging times for leaders, but here are some ways you can get yourself (and your team) ready for anything:
Register now for the UPWARD Women Global Virtual Event on March 23, where I will be presenting a virtual workshop on Leading through Uncertainty
Purchase copies of my leadership book, When the Curveballs Keep Coming: A Leadership Playbook for Uncertain Times (corporate volume discounts available)
Contact me to find out more about my organizational consulting and advising services and speaking engagements
