{"id":101,"date":"2012-11-26T13:08:04","date_gmt":"2012-11-26T21:08:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/encouragement.com\/blog\/?p=101"},"modified":"2012-11-26T13:08:04","modified_gmt":"2012-11-26T21:08:04","slug":"lets-be-practical-about-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/encouragement.com\/wordpress\/?p=101","title":{"rendered":"\u201cLet\u2019s be practical about this.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I write this leadership article, it\u2019s \u2018Cyber Monday\u2019 \u2013 the day which is set aside to promote Christmas shopping from the seat of your pants \u2013 an internet extravaganza. Hopefully I can focus, knowing full well thousands of incredible deals are happening right now \u2026 if I could just sneak away for a click or two? \u2026<\/p>\n

Distractions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Distractions are a huge issue when it comes to the development of leadership skills.<\/p>\n

Your good intentions to focus on a needed area of development are often diluted by urgent requests, questions, interruptions, and endless tasks. Your plans get put off, pushed back and soon become distant memories. Your interest has faded. No progress has been made.<\/p>\n

Just about two years ago I began asking people what they needed most to improve their performance at work? A significant number responded they need more \u2018time\u2019 during their work day (i.e. \u201cthey are way busy\u201d).<\/p>\n

Sorry folks, that\u2019s something which just isn\u2019t going to significantly change. Every organization I know is struggling to do more with fewer people, and I can\u2019t see improvements in staffing levels or workloads getting better any time soon. More free time is a mirage.<\/p>\n

The answer is clearly not being given more time \u2013 it\u2019s \u201cmaking time.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The way to make time is to substitute the word \u2018discipline.\u2019 Daily discipline. Where you understand exactly where you want to go, what aspect(s) of your leadership skills you want to develop, and relentlessly making time every day, every week, every month until you\u2019ve conquered it.<\/p>\n

One of the findings of the \u2018High Points Survey on Leadership\u2019 <\/em>is that managers are interested in practical applications vs. purely academic knowledge. They see leadership as a means to an end, where learning leads directly to solving problems, minimizing frustrations, and enabling greater productivity and harmony among their workers to get the job done.<\/p>\n

In that context, leadership is reduced to techniques or methods.<\/p>\n

Since the solution to most issues doesn\u2019t reside in a single, simple answer \u2013 leadership becomes a relentless game of pursuit \u2013 seeking answers, putting them to work, and judging their efficacy.<\/p>\n

As we approach the New Year, I\u2019d like to encourage you to consider what aspect of your leadership needs most attention? If you can identify your primary developmental need, you can find the motivation to master it. Make it a resolution, create a daily process to reach the goal, and make it happen.<\/p>\n

Got your topic?<\/p>\n

Make 5 minutes a day. Research on the internet. Buy a book. Ask a friend. Think about it. You\u2019ll be amazed what you can accomplish with a small amount of time \u2026 made regularly.<\/p>\n

Good luck. It\u2019s doable.<\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0Jerry Strom<\/p>\n

For more information about our leadership development programs, please visit http:\/\/www.JerryStrom.com<\/a> . Join the mailing list to receive notice of new articles automatically.<\/p>\n

This article is based on *\u2018The High Points Survey: What Managers Most Want to Know about Leadership,\u2019 copyright 2012, by Jerry Strom & Company, Inc. Download the White Paper at: http:\/\/www.jerrystrom.com\/js_high-points.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I write this leadership article, it\u2019s \u2018Cyber Monday\u2019 \u2013 the day which is set aside to promote Christmas shopping from the seat of your pants \u2013 an internet extravaganza. Hopefully I can focus, knowing full well thousands of incredible … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-leadership-articles"],"yoast_head":"\n\u201cLet\u2019s be practical about this.\u201d - Encouragement for Leaders<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/encouragement.com\/wordpress\/?p=101\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cLet\u2019s be practical about this.\u201d - Encouragement for Leaders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As I write this leadership article, it\u2019s \u2018Cyber Monday\u2019 \u2013 the day which is set aside to promote Christmas shopping from the seat of your pants \u2013 an internet extravaganza. 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