Almost every long night in the winter, I walk down the stairs, turn on the TV, and step onto the treadmill. I am a bit obsessed with closing all of the rings on my Apple watch and getting 10,000-12,000 steps in daily. You may think this is so disciplined of me (thank you), and I must be such a fitness fanatic (hardly). But in reality, I do this because, first, I want to eat what I want, and, second, I would prefer to experience reasonable longevity. Every leader wants to experience longevity too. They desire success, advancement, and positional security. So if you are a manager, leader, pastor, or staff member, here are six simple exercises that will improve your leadership longevity.
1. Step up by owning your mistakes.
Former Seal Jocko Willink, in his book Extreme Ownership, says it well:
“On any team, in any organization, all responsibility for success and failure rests with the leader. The leader must own everything in his or her world. There is no one else to blame. The leader must acknowledge mistakes and admit failures, take ownership of them, and develop a plan to win.”
Leaders model the way and build credibility when they own their mistakes. And by doing so, they encourage others to do the same.
2. Stand up when you feel like quitting.
I once coached a business leader who had a lot of things go wrong. Financial pressures the size of Mt. Everest. Legal challenges. Loss of a home due to a flood. And marriage challenges that would overwhelm most. But, he never quit. Never. Like Winston Churchill giving his memorable speech to the House of Commons when Nazi Germany was almost at the shores of England, “We shall never surrender!” The leader who leads well over time stands up over and over again, even when she feels like quitting.
3. Shut up by demonstrating self-control, especially in your words.
Someone recently told me about his boss and how when he is in a good mood, he is… nice. But under stress, he commonly snaps at others. All of us have our moments, especially under stress. But it is often when we are under stress that we need the most self-control. A business owner once shared how a particular employee could set off his trigger, so I encouraged him to never respond without waiting at least 10 seconds. That is usually just enough time to think first and speak last.
4. Speed up by following through on your commitments.
I am sadly humored to live at a time when people spend more hours playing games on their phones, scrolling social media, and shopping on Amazon, but do not “have the time” to respond to an email, text, or phone call. “Slow” or “no” follow-through is at an epidemic level. After a few weeks of dealing with extraordinary incompetence regarding health insurance bureaucracy, I had to call and have my EZ pass transponders replaced. I was dreading it because I was expecting another display of pathetic errors and no follow-through. But it was just the opposite. The woman on the line was pleasant, competent, and followed through on EVERYTHING she said she would do! She modeled what it means to do what you say.
5. Start up by working hard and showing initiative.
I recently saw a change in a young adult I know. Her demeanor was upbeat. Her energy seemed higher. And she smiled… a lot. She had found a career path she was excited about. And now she is working hard and showing initiative to reach her goal. Hard work is not hard work when you love what you do and enjoy with whom you do it. Leaders who have longevity do not coast. They do not wait for others to solve a problem. They do not whine. They show initiative, and this is what adds to their leadership longevity.
6. Show up by being present in the lives of others.
Leaders who have longevity practice the simple exercise of just showing up. They are engaged with those around them. They are not hard to find. They do not hide out in their office behind a constantly closed door. Rather, they are present. From a distance, it is hard to influence, build trust, or get to know others at a deeper level. Working remotely has a place. But just as you cannot vacation via zoom, raise kids via zoom, or care for an aging parent via zoom, you also cannot build deep levels of trust and connection. Leaders who want longevity will show up and be present in the lives of others.
Contact us to learn how our experienced coaches can help you grow your leadership longevity.
Jay Desko is the President & CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.
