I was recently reminded that Bill Gates has a Think Week. For 15 years, he has gone off and read about issues related to his company and the future of technology. Recently, I had a vacation and devoted a great deal of time to thinking about my development and how my leadership can help be a catalyst for growth at our company.

This exercise was exhilarating for two reasons. First is the entire process was goal-based, projecting into the future and discovering the possibilities of performing at the highest level. This is so important because every day we are putting out fires and just focused on “getting through the day”, we rarely have the time to think about the future which was motivating and fun.
Second, the exercise produced an outcome that can be used as a road map for where I want to go and where I would like to lead my team. Having a map, makes getting to where you are going a lot easier.

The exercise had two main components. First was revisiting my personal purpose which is to use my enthusiasm and commitment to encourage and inspire people to realize fulfillment and satisfaction for themselves and those they connect with. I had to evaluate my performance to ensure I was doing this. I was able to reflect upon what was working and what was not in order to develop an action plan. The second was finishing a book, 1776 by David McCullough. This book caused me to think (as asked by Publishers Weekly) “How did a group of ragtag farmers defeat the world’s greatest empire?” After reading the book, I realized how simple anything else would be in comparison.

As a result, I was able to develop 3 ah-ha keys to things I must consider as I am trying to fulfill my purpose. In sharing this with some colleagues, I was encouraged to blog:

1. I am guilty in negotiating, selling, or leading people, of “planting the seeds”. The problem is, sometimes seeds do not take root. In other words, I may hint around the tough questions or might offer some constructive feedback to an employee and hope he/she understands. In a market like this, nobody has the time to see if the seed takes root and grows. So, lesson number one is “With clear direction form a vision, be clear on my expectations, feelings, and outcomes.”

2. There was a part in 1776 when George Washington asked for help from General Lee, a leader known for being quite friendly with his soldiers. Rather than focusing on getting to Washington right away, Lee left his army with minimal guards and went to a tavern 3 miles away with a small group of soldiers to have some fun. While away from his troops, he was captured. I took from this that Washington did not give a clear and direct order and that Lee was not acting like a leader that his team needed him to be. My lesson – be a leader, not just a friend.

3. There were multiple examples in 1776 where the value of being decisive and closing the deal came into play. Early on, Washington delegated key decisions to inexperienced personnel and there were multiple examples of indecisiveness which proved costly. For the British, there were many examples where had they pressed forward after a victory, they may have been able to handicap the Americans into defeat but did not close the deal. The lesson – be decisive as action is usually better than inaction.

I commit to being a crystal clear communicator, being a leader people can count on, and working tirelessly by taking action. I hope this helps and inspires!