Nearly two decades ago, a friend invited me to my first-ever leadership conference. Candidly, I wasn’t interested but went out of loyalty to my friend. I was relatively new to corporate leadership and was incredibly ignorant back then. That event changed the trajectory of my life and my leadership.

Ever get something you didn’t ask for, but it was exactly what you needed? That was me at that conference.

Since then, I’ve discovered a formula of sorts, a routine and rhythm I’ve largely followed ever since then. Following it, almost like a prescription, has enabled me to lead authentically, passionately, and more effectively, without burnout. What follows are what I believe to be healthy rhythms for leaders who desire to lead boldly, intentionally, and for maximum impact.

Attend one power-packed large scale leadership conference annually

While living off of the daily rush of adrenaline is equally unwise and unsustainable, the chemical, when leveraged in proper doses is quite useful for the leader. Having attended several, I can tell you that power packed leadership conferences with great speakers are exhilarating. Frankly put, leadership can be lonely at times, and leadership conferences serve as a pep rally to fuel us. Being in a space with hundreds of other leaders facing the same challenges we face is humbling, stabilizing, and invigorating. Being poured into, instead of pouring into others is refreshing. Attending leadership conferences remind us that we’re not alone, we’re not crazy, that leading is hard, and that we can absolutely get better. These conferences mark space in time in which we’re away from the continuous flow of interruptions and daily operations, where we can intentionally seek growth, even anonymously if we choose. At leadership conferences we’re just a nametag, and sometimes, it feels really good knowing that for this block of time, be it 48 hours or 72 hours, we don’t have to get in the middle of solving leadership problems; on the contrary we can be an equal with our non-competing peers. The other initial unexpected benefit I’ve found with conferences is that they provide a network of other leaders we can call on for support and advice. And then, some folks come back to the same conferences year after year, making it feel like the best kind of reunion experience, which can lift our spirits.

Read three or more management/leadership books annually

Read great books. That was one of the 10 practices recommended in a leadership book I read years ago. I adopted the practice, and my library is filled with books I’ve read written by John Maxwell, Jim Collins, Jack Welch, Simon Sinek, Marcus Buckingham, Warren Bennis, Phil Jackson, Nick Saban, and others. Reading is fundamental. Nearly every professional with whom I’ve ever spent significant time and have been impressed by, is well read. Sadly, reading is becoming a lost art. Not every insight was meant to be consumed by our brains via social media post or news headline. Reading about leadership and management practices have a way of slowing us down; I’ve found it naturally generates reflection and consideration of my own practices. Reading is the place I’ve been introduced to frameworks; I’ve leveraged, expanded and tweaked them, and made them into my own. I encourage sharing high quality books with your boss, team, and peers, talking about the content gained in staff meetings and offsites. Discussing with others helps cement the learning.

Listen to leadership-themed podcasts bi-weekly

Just as reading offers its own unique learning benefit, listening does also. Sometimes the combination of reading plus listening is exactly what I’ve needed for a concept to sink in. The media world is constantly hunting for our attention. There are business and industry related newsfeeds and articles, plus local, national, and international news aplenty, billboards, continuous advertising on television and smartphones, and an endless stream of podcasts. While ensuring a reasonable amount of diversity and breadth, I encourage leaders to narrow what they listen to, who they listen to, and the frequency in which they listen. Without a governor, it can be easy to become overwhelmed. Pick a particular topic and lock in. For example, I have been listening to two podcasts over the past two years or so which focus exclusively on the leadership required to build, grow, and scale a business. You may want to consider the Bonafide Leaders podcast as an option for your listening pleasure.

Mentor at least one high-potential emerging leader continuously

Whether we realize it or not, as leaders, there are hosts of people who look up to us and want to learn from us. Bonafide leaders maintain mentor relationships continuously and see it as their responsibility to help develop and nurture the next generation of leaders. One of the challenges I regularly gave to my corporate colleagues was to mentor people who were different from them, either through race or ethnicity, gender, functional expertise, and/or socioeconomic background. It is really convenient and easy to build and maintain relationships with people similar to us. The only problem is that using that process shrinks the opportunities we have to impact wider portions of our populations, and it keeps us stuck in our familiar patterns of thinking and behaving. Mentoring others from different backgrounds expands our mindset, enlarges our network, and fosters innovation.  

Meet with and talk with your mentors quarterly

Regardless of how long one has been leading, there is always someone wiser and more experienced. To continue to be effective, it just makes sense to keep learning. Sometimes I meet with mentors, and I have no agenda at all – just want to catch up. Most of the time however, I try to bring one topic or issue that is a sticky one to solve. Mentors love coaching and helping others find success; especially their proteges. Leverage them accordingly and it becomes a mutually beneficial engagement.

Get executive coaching every three to five years

During my tenure at Texas Instruments, I was professionally coached over a six to 12 month period on a few different occasions. In those cases, I was the subject of a 360 review process. Coaching, combined with a self-assessment and/or 360 review provides fresh insights into how we are showing up as leaders. While coaching can be done without an assessment, I do not recommend taking assessments in the absence of a coach to debrief. Professional coaches serve as neutral 3^rd parties who effectively guide leaders through a process of growth through a trusted partnership. Coaching provides a safe space for leaders to be themselves and to be truly vulnerable about their hopes, dreams, challenges, weaknesses and goals. Leaders need direct and honest feedback and sometimes for a variety of reasons, employees, peers, and even superiors don’t give it. Leaders are more likely to get the feedback they need from a coach, as they hold up the mirror.

Engage in a cohort of leadership development training every three years

To maintain accreditation, in my state, CPAs are required to complete 120 continuing professional credits every rolling three years, and attorneys are required to complete 15 hours of continuing legal education annually. As a professional ICF certified coach, I am required to complete 40 hours of continuing coach education training every rolling three years to maintain my credential. I find it almost blasphemous that neither drivers nor managers of people are required to take any training at all in order to maintain their good standing. Common sense says all professionals benefit from ongoing continual training which if taken seriously, and executed skillfully, can drive continuous improvements, innovation, and a more effective practice, leading to better business, organizational and people results. I recommend that leaders obtain the training from people who’ve actually walked in their shoes as a leader. There is a place for theory, but it’s not here. Bonafide Leaders provides dynamic leadership development training for emerging leaders, experienced leaders, and executives.  

Lead intentionally daily, leveraging the fruit from those above

I’ve found that following these rhythms naturally directs me to lead with intentionality and purpose. It puts me in the proper mindset to recognize that leading others is a privilege, versus complaining about the burden. What those around me need is a leader who is dialed into his assignment, and these rhythms provide the focus I need. The mindset of a leader has a direct impact on those they lead. Follow these rhythms and your leadership could very likely transform itself!

Feeling stuck, in a rut, losing passion and wanting a reboot? Reach out to me at bonafideleaders.com/contact and let’s build a plan to get you unstuck.

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