Palawan, Philippines

I look pretty chill in this photo. I’m in paradise (AKA Palawan, Philippines).

🏝️However, even on Island Time, I can get a bit irritable.

A propensity to act is celebrated in western culture. This means: Promptly following up wait staff when my drink is not on its way yet and WhatsApp-ing tour operators when my van pickup hasn’t yet arrived (5 mins past the ETA), amongst other messages I’ve delivered assertively (always with a smile)!

Covey’s famous Circle of Control and Influence is a great model, with the premise being, “If you can’t control it or influence it, change how you feel about it”, the problem is that, sometimes, rather than being okay to practice mindfulness, go with the flow, or wait it out… I want to exert that influence/control and TAKE ACTION.

It’s not a bad thing but it is a bit annoying having that nagging sense to “do something” to fix things, especially when I’m on holiday.

I felt the same thing when I met relatives in PNG. We were all sitting around in a circle having a conversation and I kept asking, “What are we doing next?”, realising that my family were just happy to be in the present and enjoy conversation and company.

Having this propensity to act can sometimes destroy you as a leader.

You’re so willing to help, that you fix your team’s problems. You do their work instead so it’s up to “your standard”. Rarely is delegation a tactical problem, it comes from a mindset of wanting to be in control. I get it.

I remember chatting to senior leader in a government education department who shared that when there is a problem, and she sees a flurry of emails, that she will simply wait. Over a few hours, or even overnight, the issue will resolve itself. I was in awe of her ability to hover in the wings. Her team developed as a result. I love how 📚 Michael Bungay Stanier calls this “lazy leadership”.

I’m happy with my bias towards learning into action but also wish I could switch it off at times.

Anyone else in this boat?

Btw- I’m open for bookings in 2023 for Sentient Strategy formulation. Speaking of action orientation, let’s use my bias to help you out with creating a strategy over a couple of days, not months, one that can accommodate disruption and volatility on your industry. Send me a msg if you’d like to know more.

Now, time to sit back and relax….

#action #strategy #selfawareness