Welcome Leadership Challenge Fans,
I spent May in Switzerland with family and friends. No email, no work—just a special time in the Swiss Alps. It was a wonderful opportunity for introspection and meditation on where I am going and who I want to be.
During the trip, I learned that one of our friends doesn’t wait for a trip to Switzerland to reflect. In fact, she habitually takes one day a month for a personal retreat. This powerful exercise keeps her focused on what truly matters and helps her manage potential distractions. Here is her routine:
- She chooses a place to spend six hours once a month. It can be a park, a friend’s house (with no one at home), or a favorite hiking trail in her town. It cannot be at home, where she might be distracted by technology, household chores, or her family.
- She brings a packed lunch, a book if she wants to read, and a journal.
- She avoids talking to anyone or using technology during the six hours of her retreat.
During her retreat, she commits to asking herself three questions:
- Am I on the right path? Is she where she wants to be as a person, a mother, a wife, and a leader right now?
- Am I on the right path with the right people? Are there changes she needs to make regarding the people in her life? Are there toxic individuals she needs to let go of? Is there someone she would like to work with to learn from them? Is there someone she needs to mentor or coach to help them succeed?
- Are there distractions she needs to eliminate? Have unimportant but seemingly urgent things intruded into her life that she needs to assign to others or discard completely?
These are great questions, and it’s easy to see how such time can lead to higher productivity, more focus, and better personal and professional outcomes. However, they are not the only questions to consider.
This month, we offer you two articles for consideration. Tom Pearce explores the power of questions and how they can make you a better leader. Tawnya Mitchell provides a quick tip concerning how to spark creativity and innovation. Enjoy!
As always, we continue to be committed to developing better teams by growing leaders at every level of your organization. Please let us know how we can help.
Michael
Michael Curtis is the Senior Director for Advanced Facilitator’s Training at iLead Consulting and Training. When not at his computer, he can be found on the lake with his wife Patty, volunteering as a Marriage Coach at his local church, or flying drones in the hills of Lindale, Texas.