#40 | 3.8.24 - 5 Minutes, 5 Moves: Quick Leadership Upgrades // ChatGPT Prompts Every Leader Must Know / Stop Thinking About Work After Hours / The Good Ol' Days
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5 Minutes, 5 Moves: Quick Leadership Upgrades
My wife and I are fans of The Big Bang Theory so as I write this, I picture Sheldon in his Flash costume, “vroom, vroom, vroom!”
But I digress 😂
If I’ve learned anything in my leadership journey over the years, it’s that leadership is both an art and a science. With that in mind, I’ve put together 5 quick moves, each taking 5 minutes or less, to help upgrade your leadership game. I’ve also included specific ‘How to Do This’ resources pulled from books and podcasts I enjoy.
Move 1: Give Someone Positive Feedback
How to Do This:
Identify the Achievement: Start by pinpointing a specific action, result, or behavior that contributed positively to the team or project.
Be Specific and Sincere: Tailor your feedback to be as detailed as possible, explaining why their contribution was valuable. Authenticity is key.
Communicate: Whether in person or through a chat or email, convey your appreciation clearly and promptly.
Reinforcing Resources:
Book: "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel H. Pink discusses the power of intrinsic motivation, which is fueled by positive feedback. Great book.
Podcast: "HBR IdeaCast" often features episodes on leadership and motivation, providing insights into how positive reinforcement can enhance performance. HBR has a full line of podcasts, but I particularly enjoy this one.
Move 2: Show Up for Your Team
How to Do This:
Be Present: Allocate time to be available for your team, whether it’s an open office hour or a dedicated check-in time. I recently heard the expression, “Build margin in your day so you can be prepared for the unexpected”.
Listen Actively: When a team member seeks support, listen with the intent to understand, not just to respond. Practice active listening to ensure you heard correctly.
Provide Support: Offer the necessary resources, guidance, or simply moral support to help them overcome challenges. Sometimes leadership gets lonely. Let them know they’re not alone!
Reinforcing Resources:
Book: "Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t" by Simon Sinek emphasizes the importance of leaders being present and supportive.
Podcast: "The Coaching Habit" podcast offers insights on how leaders can effectively support their team by adopting a coaching mindset. Also a book I highly recommend!
Move 3: Identify Your Top 3 Priorities for Tomorrow
How to Do This:
Reflect on Goals: Consider both short-term needs and long-term objectives to decide which tasks will have the most impact.
Narrow Down: From your list, select the top three tasks that are crucial for tomorrow.
Plan Your Day: Start a routine in which you take 5 minutes to outline your top 3 to-dos for your day, ensuring you dedicate your best energy to them. I plan my priorities for tomorrow at the end of today, that way I can hit the ground running in the morning.
Reinforcing Resources:
Book: "The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results" by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan advocates for focusing on the one most important task.
Podcast: "Beyond the To-Do List" explores productivity strategies, including prioritizing tasks for effective leadership and personal growth.
Move 4: Learn Something New
How to Do This:
Choose a Topic: Select a subject related to your industry, leadership, or personal development.
Dedicate Time: Spend five minutes reading an article, watching a tutorial, or listening to a podcast snippet.
Apply Your Knowledge: Think of one way to apply what you’ve learned in your leadership practice.
Reinforcing Resources:
Book: "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck explores the growth mindset, encouraging continuous learning and resilience. Though I didn’t finish this one, the first half was excellent!
Podcast: "The Tim Ferriss Show" often features experts in various fields, offering a wealth of knowledge and learning opportunities in digestible segments.
Move 5: Connect and Listen
How to Do This:
Go First: This has been big for me lately. My wife and I had a conversation recently that sometimes it feels like we’re always the ones to pursue relationships with others. Somewhere along the line, we became ok with this, and now we lean into it. Someone has to go first, and we decided we would be the ones to do that (she is EXCELLENT at this, btw!) So, initiate a conversation with a team member, friend, or boss - whatever the case may be. Go first.
Practice Active Listening: Put away distractions and be in the moment.
Engage: Ask open-ended questions to deepen the conversation and understanding.
Reinforcing Resources:
Book: "Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts." by Brené Brown highlights the importance of connection, empathy, and listening in leadership.
Podcast: "WorkLife with Adam Grant" explores the science of work and how to make work not suck, including how effective listening can transform leadership and workplace culture.
The essence of these 5 moves lies in understanding how small actions, when consistently applied, can create a significant impact over time. This approach highlights that leadership excellence isn't about grand gestures but the power of cumulative, daily actions. By embedding these quick upgrades into your routine, you pave a steady path to some profound leadership moments!
ChatGPT Prompts Every Leader Must Know
I initially passed this article by later decided to click on it, and I’m glad I did. There were some great prompts in there, and I particularly enjoyed this one:
Based on what you know about me so far, suggest a relatable business role model who exemplifies leadership and resilience. If I'm interested, I'll ask for a fact or an inspiring anecdote about this person, as well as a mantra of theirs. If not, suggest another historical or contemporary figure. Continue offering suggestions until I say 'stop'. Let's start with the first role model recommendation.
Here’s the response I received:
Given our interactions, I’d recommend Satya Nadella as a relatable business role model. As the CEO of Microsoft, Nadella exemplifies leadership and resilience in the way he transformed the company’s culture and business model, focusing on cloud computing and collaboration. His approach to leadership, emphasizing empathy and the growth mindset, has been widely praised and has contributed to Microsoft’s renewed success and innovation. Nadella’s journey from growing up in Hyderabad, India, to leading one of the world’s tech giants showcases his resilience and adaptability.
Some other good prompts in there. Feel free to check it out!
Stop Thinking About Work After Hours
Fascinating stuff here and the science behind how constantly thinking about work may hurt rather than help your performance as a leader.
The Good Ol’ Days Are Now
A powerful reminder for your Friday!
Words to wrap up
"If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step just gets us to the wrong place faster." - Stephen Covey