As the year starts to draw to a close, you may find yourself reflecting on the year that has passed, before the focus shifts to the year ahead.
For high-achieving leaders, it’s likely that the results you’ve achieved and the outcomes you’ve delivered will be top of the list.
Focusing on ‘what’ you have achieved is important.
But focusing exclusively on what you have delivered overlooks key aspects of what makes you the leader that you are and how you have grown.
Because humans are not one-dimensional. And sustained peak performance requires more than just your head being in the right place.
There are emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual parts of you that all come together to help you live and lead well.
These four elements are captured well by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz in their piece The Making Of A Corporate Athlete. To achieve the “Ideal Performance State” - peak performance under pressure - all levels must work together, in harmony.
The High-Performance Pyramid (Image from HBR, The Making Of The Corporate Athlete)
The reality is that the emphasis you might place on each of these four elements will likely vary. And how important each is to you right now is for you to decide.
Because, expert opinion aside, there is no perfect way of being, simply what is right for you.
But making that choice and acting intentionally, rather than letting circumstances decide for you, is the key.
The challenge is that for busy leaders, the latter is more than often the norm.
So, to help you take a beat and reflect on your year, as a whole, here is a short exercise to get you started.
An End Of Year Review; Corporate Athlete Style
Take a moment and reflect on your year in relation to each of these dimensions below.
Where would you rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 against each of the items? What else would you add to these lists?
Then step back:
What trends and patterns do you notice?
What were the biggest challenges that you experienced?
What are you most proud of?
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