Leader Growth

4 Critical Gauges for Your Life and Work

Have you ever found yourself in a funk? You love your work, you’ve got a great team, you’re even making progress – but you’re just in a funk.

Sound familiar?

What about when someone asks you how you’re doing? Have you ever answered honestly? Are we really “great” or “fine” all the time?

For years, I’ve noticed that I periodically struggle with getting motivated and staying motivated.

We don’t like to admit it, but these low times are occasionally accompanied by mild depression and frustrations. Many associate these times with weakness – convincing themselves, I’m not a good leader or I’m in over my head.

Obviously, a depressive state is not healthy. And if we are not healthy, we simply cannot live and lead effectively. We cannot respond to challenges and opportunities calmly and decisively.

In 2011, I began journaling when these low times occurred. I was looking for patterns – anything that would help me know when they were coming, prepare for them, prevent them, and use them as opportunities to grow.

The #1 Way to Get Better Results with Your Personal Life Plan

Is there an area of your life or work that you’ve just not been able get the results you desire – the results that you know are possible?

This article is part of the series – Personal Life Planning that Works
Your Life Matters
Grow on Purpose
3 Reasons Everyone Should Have a Personal Life Plan
The #1 Way to Get Better Results with Your Personal Life Plan
3 Personal Life Plan Tips Most People Miss

What about your team? Do you have a team member that, no matter what they’ve tried, just can’t seem to improve productivity or efficiency?

BONUS: I’ve created a NEW Guide that will walk you step-by-step through writing your own SIMPLE Personal Life Plan. You can get a copy of this life-changing tool at the end of this article.

Well, I’ve got good news! The answer is quite simple – it’s so simple, you’re not going to believe it. So I’ll illustrate it first…

How to deal with a poor leader

I’ve served with some remarkable leaders in several organizations – and I’ve served with some not-so-remarkable leaders. You can read about some of them here. And since I’m passionate about intentional growth, I’m easily frustrated by unproductive poor leadership and the resulting wasted potential within organizations.

To be totally transparent, I’ve made many mistakes in leadership. There were numerous times that my teams endured countless mistakes along my leadership journey. My teams have been more than patient, even gracious, as I have grown to lead more effectively.

So, whether you’ve been a member of one of my teams or you find yourself trapped in this unfortunate situation, here are 4 ways to deal with a poor leader:

Leaders are the most creative people on the planet

There are many good people mired in mediocrity and comfort. They spend much of life defending why they do what they do, selling what they’ve always sold, and protecting their organizations from being devoured by the forces of the new.

This post is part of the series – What Ever Happened to Personal Responsibility?
Would You Return to Your Organization?
If You’re Not Growing, You’re Dying…Really?
Leaders are the Most Creative People on the Planet
Great Leaders Serve
Is Fear Taking Over?

Let’s face it – maintaining the status quo has to be exhausting.

I love new ideas. I love growth. And because I love growth, I love the creativity and innovation that growth requires! Creatives continually challenge the status quo. And since vision is at the core of leadership, leaders must be the most creative people on the planet! Which quite simply makes mediocrity poor leadership.

Here are 3 things that I’ve learned from

creative leaders…

4 Things I Learned from Poor Leaders

You’re the one who is always looking for the next opportunity to lead. When someone is needed to step up and take the lead, you volunteer. You get jazzed about growth in challenging circumstances.

Casting impossible vision, developing new initiatives, and implementing innovative strategies feed your passion for achieving the unthinkable. Does that sound like you?

Well, that’s me! And, since I’m passionate about intentional growth, I’m easily frustrated by unproductive leadership and the resulting wasted potential within organizations. If you’re trapped in this unfortunate situation, check out Michael Hyatt’s 5 Ways to Cope with Bad Leaders.

I’ve served with some remarkable leaders in several organizations – and I’ve served with some not-so-remarkable leaders. To be honest, I’ve made many mistakes in leadership. My leaders and my teams have been more than patient, even gracious, as I have grown to lead more effectively.

So, what good can come from serving with a poor leader? Here are four things I’ve learned from poor leaders in my own leadership journey: