Gifts from 2019

05 Dec 2019

Leadership Gifts from 2019: Your Turn to Receive

How often do you hear that it is better to give than to receive? We are conditioned to look outside of ourselves, to focus on others, which of course, has many benefits. However, as business leaders, too much of a good thing can become a distraction or a deflection. If you’ve followed me for a while, you probably know that I like to encourage looking at things in a different way. Today I ask that you consider what you’ve received in 2019.

In this season of gift-giving, take some time to reflect on the biggest gifts that you have received in 2019. Here are some ideas that may help:

Biggest Lessons – What lessons have been learned from triumphs and challenges this year? Reflect on customer interactions, employee communication and engagement, systems and processes created or improved, products developed or discontinued. Take some quiet time and write these lessons down.

Opportunities Won – Look back through the year, month by month, with the calendar and financial statements to review the possibilities that have come your way. I encourage you to look a little deeper. What was behind those successes? What factors contributed to you winning these opportunities? Persistence? New methods? Delegating? Jot down your thoughts to use for planning and sharing with your team.

Lost Opportunities – Go back through the same information with the calendar, financial statements, and written proposals, etc. to consider the opportunities that didn’t pan out. Be real with yourself and consider what could have been handled differently. As the business owner or manager, how could you have offered more support, resources, or leadership? What additional support or resources could make a difference for you as a leader? Write down your observations. Facing reality is key to improvement and future success, as is accepting responsibility for outcomes . . . the good, the bad, and the ugly!

New Perspectives for 2020 – Now that you have completed these reflections, go back through your notes. What new insights do you have for moving forward? What will you do differently and what will you continue into the new year? Consider leading your team through these exercises for greater communication and engagement in 2020.

It’s important to take time regularly to reflect, think, and plan on the gifts received each year (and month!) This deep thinking is what sets the do-ers apart from the leaders. How has this process worked for you and your team?

by Kim Ellet, CPC, The Growth Coach of Metro Atlanta

Kim Ellet is a certified professional coach and owner of The Growth Coach of Metro Atlanta. She finds joy in helping successful leaders committed to continuous improvement, be more of who they are, dream bigger dreams, and accomplish more than they realized was possible. www.TheGrowthCoach/Atlanta.com

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