Remember when you first started to learn how to ride a bicycle? Changes are, you probably began on a tricycle, then moved to a bicycle with training wheels. Then after months of work on that, you were given the very scary task of riding on just two wheels (and a prayer). Well, and probably someone’s hand on the back seat as well.
The same thing, the same emotions happen anytime we try something new. Every day that we get out of bed is a journey, we are riding a bicycle and we have to stay in balance. This post is the first in two about life balance. It relates to this quote I recently added to my email signature:
“Life is like riding a bicycle, in order to keep in balance, you must keep moving.” –Albert Einstein
But it has me thinking… before we can hope on the bike, I think it’s important to slow down for a day and look at our lives as a whole. For our lives must be in balance before we take off down the road. On Thursday we’ll look at once our lives are in balance, how to hop on the bike to traverse the crazy world ahead – and stay in balance – without any knee scrapes.
So, lets look at your life.
Are you too active? Well… that begs the question ‘what is active anyway?’ Well, I believe active is when you don’t have the time to do the things you are most passionate about. Too active means you start to lose parts yourself that you used to deeply value. Active is good. Production is good. But active for active’s sake only keeps you active and away from things you know you’re rather be doing.
Are you passionate & creative? It’s amazing to me the art that can be created by artists. I may be AGE, but I’m still impressed any time I see a work of art. Anything creative inspires me. It motivates me. It obviously motivates those that create. But if your life isn’t in balance, chances are, your creative energy and creative exploration are operating at a deficit.
Do you have a work life and a personal life? It’s interesting. One day I will meet someone who refuses to check work e-mail outside the office and the next day I’ll meet someone who has their e-mail attached to their hip. I believe a balance needs to be found between the two. Yes, I have an iPhone (which I love, but don’t keep at my hip), but I have a balance. There are times and days where I am only working and there are times and days where I am only living. It’s important to have that balance, especially as someone who works from home. Work and life need their own energies and deserve importance.
Those are just three areas where we must find balance in our lives to be at our peak production, both professionally and personally. We’ll be spending more time in the coming weeks diving into tactics to create more balance, but on Thursday we’re going to dive right into jumping onto the bike and racing into life – in balance of course.
We’ve been talking a lot on here the last month about Energy Leadership and the importance of being a positive and balanced leader. Here’s something to keep in mind though: just because you’re a positive leader, doesn’t mean you are balanced. They are two very different characteristics.
Through our Energy Leadership journey, we looked over what makes a great “energy” leader, but what about balance? And what exactly is “balance”?
The official definition given by “The American Century Dictionary” says that balance is “stability of body or mind.” It is a noun. I suppose you could call it a concept, but I would argue it is a place. Being a balanced person is a place, it is a location. It is, for our purposes, a destination. What are the landmarks on the way…
1. A balanced leader has a strategy and vision.
When leaders make decisions that don’t match their personal and professional visions, they begin to make choices and decisions that are, in effect unbalanced. What happens is that a leader will make decisions that don’t match an expected vision and then months later; they start to follow the choices of the past, the ones that don’t fit the vision. And now you’re unbalanced. Additionally, the same thing happens to the team. They have no idea where they are going and they too become unbalanced.
2. A balanced leader has a set of values and all their decisions make up.
Continuing with the strategy and vision, a balanced leader has values. These are public and well-known to friends, colleagues and clients. Businesses have to make tough choices every day. They are choices of client load, time management, budgeting, public comments, and many more. Decisions must always match the values of the leader and the group members. When values don’t match up, there will never be a positively balanced team. Each member and each client must agree on the values of the partnership.
3. A balanced leader must acknowledge and accept they can’t have it all at the same time.
This definitely relates to having a set of values, but mostly having a vision for the team. As much as we might think, we can’t have it all. We all have limited amounts of time, money and energy to give the world. Having it all is more about understanding and believing in the vision than it is about actually having “everything.” A balanced leader knows what they want and what their dream is and works towards it, without sacrificing who they are.
Do you have a strategy and vision? Do you know your values? What does “have it all” mean to you?
More importantly, do you think you’re balanced today?
As the economy continues to sputter along, agency owners and leaders all across the country have to keep asking themselves what to do. Do I hire more people to try to grow my business? Do I let a few people go to keep operating in the black? Or do I search for more business and add to our workloads?
Whatever you or your leaders are deciding to do, keep this in mind: it’s tough out there. Just when it seems that the tide might be turning, there is another piece of bad news waiting just around the corner. I was on a conference call with people from all across the country in the fall of 2008 when someone spoke up. It was a random comment, but what this man said has stuck with me. He said, “Our bosses gathered us all up to calm our fears. They told us in the meeting that our company had decided to not participate in the recession.”
Imagine what would happen if bosses all over the globe would say that. I’m not an economist, but I do believe when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
That being said, with the economic times we are in, how do leaders manage the needs of the business versus the needs of staff? Well, I will venture to say that they are equally important. So, what are the most important factors for leaders to keep in mind when balancing their team vs. their clients?
To build a strong team, the team needs to feel like they are a part of each and every decision. Of course the leaders make the decisions, but the more team members; employees feel like they are a part of the process of the business, the more results and retention you are likely to have.
Make sure that each and every decision made at every level matches the overall vision, values and goals of the company. The moment someone strays – everyone strays. Keep the herd together.
Leaders must see the big picture. And I mean the big picture. Not only must leaders show their staff that they care about them, both personally and professionally, that same care must be taken for each client. The vision and values apply to everyone who does business with your company.
What other things come into play when balancing the needs of staff vs. clients?
*This post is the final post in a seven part series on Energy Leadership.
You made it! Here we are, Energy Level 7, Absolute Passion. Leaders at this level operate with an absolute passion for their cause, for their tasks and for the people around them. As we’ve journeyed through the seven levels of energy or consciousness, you have learned that we each have an “average” energy level of all our thoughts and actions. All of our thoughts and feelings resonate at a certain level, and at the end of the day, or week and on, they average out at a certain level.
This “average” as it were determines your energetic makeup, your viewpoint of the world, your physical and mental health, your ability to lead, and the level of your personal and professional success.
I’ve never personally met him, but on the surface, it appears Steve Jobs could be the most public leader operating at this level. Have you watched him present about his biggest products? The attitude of Apple is that they can create beautiful products that will change the course of the world. It began with the iPod, then the Nano, and now the iPad. Their fans are loyal. Their employees are passionate, but mostly empowered.
The attitude on campus is that no idea is a bad one. Just like at Google. They incorporate a very open style of communication in addition to creating an aura of unlimited creativity within their staff. It comes from the top.
These leaders are non-judgmental and they manifest and spread positive energy. Their focus is on creation. They experience absolute passion.
Remember when you first started to learn how to ride a bicycle? Changes are, you probably began on a tricycle, then moved to a bicycle with training wheels. Then after months of work on that, you were given the very scary task of riding on just two wheels (and a prayer). Well, and probably someone’s hand on the back seat as well.
As the economy continues to sputter along, agency owners and leaders all across the country have to keep asking themselves what to do. Do I hire more people to try to grow my business? Do I let a few people go to keep operating in the black? Or do I search for more business and add to our workloads?
