Consciousness & Change

“Headwinds, cost pressures, and flawless execution” are the drumbeat for results that many leaders hear again and again. But operating with this constant pressure gets exhausting and often leads to behaviors that aren’t productive – and are often not intentional.

Several years ago, I coached a leader who wanted to focus on better work-life harmony. “Nate’s” 12-hour days, non-stop work, and fitful sleep were taking a toll. Coaching created the space he needed to reflect and focus so that he could make intentional changes for better balance.

Building Awareness

We started with a powerful life values exercise to reflect on what was important in his life and how fulfilled he was with each. Nate’s personal wake-up call was that he felt more fulfilled with his career success than his family life. What were the trade-offs to his ‘always-on’ and ‘hands-on’ work approach?

With his awareness of these values and fulfillment top of mind, Nate was ready to get even more clarity. He asked 12 colleagues to share their feedback in a 360 survey. The results uncovered some hidden blind spots that stemmed from Nate’s desire for control.

While Nate’s intent was to get involved – often doing the work – to spare his team the stress and pressure of compressed deadlines, the impact was his team felt helpless to make a difference.

Choosing Change

It turns out, Nate’s control was impacting his life balance and his teams’ engagement. With this clarity, he was motivated to make a change.

Nate narrowed his development focus to just one area to start – delegation. By letting go of complete control, he saw more collaboration and greater problem solving. Over time, since he wasn’t in the mix of details anymore, Nate found he had more time to coach his team and get to the root cause of operational issues. He drastically reduced his hours and was more present for his family – and himself.

What once seemed insurmountable was now achievable. He felt deeper fulfillment with his family and career. This shift was possible because he was willing to create space to build awareness, gain clarity, and take actions to improve his life.

How can you gain more clarity in your life?