We entered Autumn a few weeks ago. For me there is a special magic in this season.
Leaves begin to burn into an explosive palette of colours, a crisp and cold air is playing in our faces, the days are shortening, pumpkins are appearing announcing Halloween.
Life is starting to change.... Autumn is a season of transition.
Autumn leaves remind us that in order to grow we must let certain things fall away. When we do so, place is made for new things to grow.
Autumn is a time for reflection and gratitude
Symbolically, Autumn is a time for reflection and gratitude. It's time to slow down and remember where we are coming from and where we're going. It is time to reap what we sowed in the spring and time to commit to new projects. It’s a time to reflect on what we need to let go of.
Being able to stop and slow down, to "go on the balcony" and take a higher perspective on the situation is a key leadership skill. So, pause and take the time to reflect on the following questions to increase you response-abilty in face of circumstances.
What am I grateful for?
What have been my main challenges over the last weeks and months?
How did I respond to them?
If I did not achieve my goals and ambitions, what got in the way? How did I contribute to this? What have been my “dark sides”?
What could I have done differently or better to positively influence the outcome?
What can I learn from it?
What should I let go of to grow my leadership?
Increase your response-ability in face of circumstances
A leader is "response-able" in face of the situations he/she faces. When we respond to situations, we take full responsibility and are able to identify actions we can take to move forward. When we react, we tend to blame others or the circumstances for what’s happening to us and position ourselves as victims. As human beings, we are always at choice. and our decisions are influencing our outcomes and results.
Reflecting on above questions at a regular frequency will enable you to grow your capacity to respond to the situations you are facing instead of reacting to them.
So, slow down, look back at the previous months, and take some time to reflect and decide what you can do to navigate the situations more consciously and increase your impact as a leader. The current context of the Covid19 is calling more than ever for conscious, response-able leaders.