Modern leadership starts here
What constitutes modern leadership? In the middle of a pandemic, the lines between life and work have blurred, a workforce is on the brink of burnout, and the ways in which we collaborate and communicate with one another have irreversibly changed.
These fundamental shifts means businesses need to focus on sustainability over productivity, and from focus to balance. It goes without saying that leadership needs to evolve in both thinking and practice.
Google the term “Leadership framework” and you’ll be inundated with results, from academic models to battle stories from the army frontline. It’s easy to become overwhelmed, because there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
You may not be a people manager, but whilst leadership and management share come commonalities, for the most part they sit at different ends of a spectrum. The former transcends beyond hierarchical walls and the workplace in general. Anyone can and should develop their leadership skills, both professionally and personally.
At Coteam, we firmly believe that effective leadership always starts with self. Finding space to think improves focus, provides clarity and allows for better decision making.
We’ve put together this instructional guide to help anyone reflect on what is most important to them through a whole person questioning approach. Far from some new-age hippy practice, reflection is practised by the world’s greatest leaders, from Bill Gates to Warren Buffet.
To find balance in your life, we will explore four pillars that contribute to our wellbeing and our success. Effective leadership is the sum of these parts.
Head – What I know.
The foundations that help you make sense of the world. What do you need to learn? Where do you need to grow?
Heart – What I feel.
It’s how you experience life, work, friends and family. What makes you happy? How can you empathise with others?
Body – How I feel.
It’s your physicality that influences your behaviours and impacts the world around you. Your body is the most powerful tool you have, so what are you doing to look after yours?
Soul – What drives me.
Your purpose, beliefs and values that are at the core of who you are. What drives you to be your best? What gets you out of bed every day?
This activity is designed to help you reflect on these four pillars, and will provide valuable insights to improve your leadership style.
The Coteam Leadership Canvas
Download your copy below
Step 1 - Get Organised
Download your free copy of the Coteam Leadership Canvas by entering your details below:
We advocate getting off your digital devices and putting pen to paper if you can, so ideally you want to print this (A3 size).
If you don’t have access to a printer, then use a free tool like Miro to create a digital version. Set aside at least 45 minutes to work through the activity and try to find a space without distraction and makes you feel happy.
It’s also important you set some guidelines to frame your thinking. It would be useful to focus on one specific challenge, either professional or personal, that you would like to focus on. This will help you set more concrete goal posts and guide your thinking. Record this at the top of the canvas.
Step 2 - Identify Questions to Yourself
Writer Ralph B. Smith once observed that children ask roughly 125 questions per day and adults ask about six questions per day, so somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we lose 119 questions per day.
For the purpose of this activity, we want you to ask yourself another eight.
Within each section of the canvas, identify two questions that are important for you to answer, either through reflection or discovery. These should link back specifically to the challenge you are focusing on.
Below are some examples of questions you may like to use, but feel free to come up with your own. Remember, we only need two for each section of the canvas. Try to frame your question with What, Why or How, to give yourself space to be expansive in your reflection.
Head – What do you need to learn?
Where are my knowledge gaps when it comes to this particular challenge?
What would help me make better decisions?
How can I find the right information to help solve this problem?
How can I focus on what I need to know, rather than straight into the solution?
When have I recently felt challenged and what did I learn?
Heart – What do you feel?
How would I feel if I solved this challenge?
Why do I feel frustrated about this challenge?
Am I acting here on heart or head and why is it important for me to differentiate?
Who else do I need to involve in my decision making and how do I feel about them?
What is my gut instinct?
Body – How do you act?
What gives me the energy to solve this?
How can I create a sustainable routine to improve my focus and wellbeing?
How can I become better at listening and responding to my body’s needs?
How can I create better segregation between work and personal time?
How can I move more throughout the day?
Soul – What drives you?
What are the values I refuse to compromise on and why?
Which values will I compromise on and what will it take?
What drives me to get out of bed every day?
Is my professional persona different to my social persona? If so, why?
Step 3 – Reflect and Plan
Now you’ve identified the questions you need to answer, it’s time to dig deep on how you really feel and identify some actions to hold yourself accountable.
Remember that the output of this canvas is specifically for your own development, and you don’t need to share it with anyone else, unless of course you feel it would be beneficial to your personal growth.
Within each section of the canvas, take five minutes to reflect on the question and record your thoughts. At first it might feel a little strange to write your answers out, but the process has been scientifically proven to increase both focus and recall.
After answering each question, define one clear action that you would like to take in the next four weeks that will help drive towards solving the challenge you’ve outlined at the top. Try to keep these small. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and transformation doesn’t happen overnight. Try to make these as practical and realistic as possible.
Actions might include things such as:
Meet with Stephen to better understand how he feels about the project
Incorporate 5 minutes of meditation into my morning routine at least twice a week
Go for a walk on my lunchbreaks on Fridays
Watch at least one Ted talk a day
Invite my team to give me open feedback in a retrospective
Show more of my personality at the upcoming quarterly planning meeting
It’s these small steps that you can take which will have a tremendous impact not only on your wellbeing but equip you to become a more conscious, modern leader.