2019 has gotten off to a jam-packed start for me... I've gained a couple of new clients, I took a trip to Chicago before the Polar Vortex hit, and I'm teaching a new class of Sociology interns. It's diverse and delightful!Nevertheless, with Maximizer as my #3 Strength and Input at #5 (and Learner at #7), I still really
love taking in new information to the fullest extent I can manage. So here are several great resources I've already enjoyed.
READ. Get Stuff Done! Aside from stress management, one of the main topics I have with clients is in regard to productivity. They always seem have so much to do and not enough time. Here are two interesting articles that might stir the pot for you if this is something you want to work on.
- What happened when I followed Ben Franklin’s schedule for a month. The title alone intrigued me. Once you get past the fact that he woke up at 5 AM everyday, it is difficult not to be challenged to try his approach. Here's a teaser: he suggests two hours a day for lunch!
- How to Actually, Truly Focus on What You're Doing. Got this one from a client! It provides a great differentiation between deep work and shallow work.
LISTEN. How to Succeed as a New Manager. I am a compulsive podcast listener and I really liked this one. I liked it so much that I created a worksheet to go with it and sent it to a bunch of my clients. Let me know if you would like to have a copy. Even though the podcast itself lasts a little bit over half an hour, the section on being a new manager is only about 15 minutes. Check it out.
GROW. Take 5: How to Take Charge of Your Professional Development. Let's be honest, there are so many (TOO MANY) "top five" and "best 3 ever" lists out there, most of which are shallow and obvious. DO NOT OVERLOOK THIS ONE. Short but substantive. And #5 is my favorite.
BOOK. Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Three hundred pages into the book (which I'm enjoying), I still can't shake the import of her opening questions:
- Are leaders born or made?
- Where does ambition come from?
- How does adversity affect the growth of leadership?
- Do the times make the leader or does the leader shape the times?
- How can a leader infuse a sense of purpose and meaning into people’s lives?
- What is the difference between power, title, and leadership?
- Is leadership possible without a purpose larger than personal ambition?
My next book to read is Leaders: Myth and Reality by General Stanley McChrystal.
I will end with this... listening to an interview of Mary Pipher, a renowned sociologist, she said,
“We spend much of our lives keeping appointments we did not make.”In other words, we all have to deal with circumstances beyond our control and still keep going. My hope and prayer is that I can walk alongside a few people as they keep these unexpected (and often unwelcomed) appointments. Let's do this for one another. Thanks for reading!
For more information, feel free to contact me at kelly.soifer@ksleadershipdevelop.me.
