Reaching the next peak of your leadership

Two weeks ago I was a conference presenter at the International Association of Facilitators annual North America conference in Denver, Colorado.  My workshop, which I co facilitated with my friend Sandra Cooper, was about “Getting Participants Into the Spirit”. Guided by the Conference Theme: “Facilitation at a Higher Level: Reaching the Next Peak” the description read:

 

You have prepared a great workshop, but things are not clicking.  Participants are in the room, but are not really present.   Somehow you get to the end and you wonder, “How could I have set the stage for the participants’ full engagement”?  This workshop will explore and share techniques for creating a stimulating environment by addressing the five physical senses – touch, taste, scent, sight, hearing.   You will leave with facilitation tools for infusing energy and vitality into your workshops.  Most importantly, you will explore your own senses so that you become a facilitator with spirit.

 

If you weren’t there, I won’t tell you what you missed!  But I WILL share with you an insight on leadership I have had over the past few days, as I continue to revel in the accolades.

 

At the end of the presentation we did an exercise around getting oneself “into the spirit” and shared a checklist of things that we personally do to prepare to facilitate.  It occurred to me as I came upon the checklist during my unpacking, that this idea of preparing oneself is particularly applicable to those in positions of leadership.  How does a leader lead, day in and day out, through thick and thin, personal trials and professional tribulations?  How does a leader inspire and motivate on a daily basis even when he/she is feeling low energy, under the weather or in emotional turmoil?

 

Conscious preparation is key.  My brother is the CEO of a Jamaican multinational corporation. I am always amazed at the discipline of his early morning routine that happens NO MATTER WHAT.  He has an exercise routine that varies based on his available time.  What does NOT vary is his commitment and action in exercising every morning.  He has his breakfast, and his moment of meditation – and laughter.  No wonder he is an incredible leader – day in and day out.

 

My question to you – how do you prepare yourself on the days when you have special events like meetings, workshops and presentations?  And how do you prepare yourself on “ordinary” days?  Reaching the next peak of your leadership capability requires that you prepare yourself EVERYDAY as if you had the most important event in your life on that day.