Are you going crazy trying to finish things off before the year ends? It is all too easy to focus on what is not yet done instead of what you have actually accomplished. A valuable question to ask yourself and others is, what are you most proud of having accomplished this year? You will probably have many things on your list of accomplishments, but there is likely to be at least one that stands out from the rest.
Karen’s answer was that she was proud of having invested in herself this year and in doing so, had taken her leadership to a new level. Outwardly, she appeared to have a successful career, but the grind of non-stop meetings and 24/7 connection meant that she lacked satisfaction or fulfilment from her work.
This year she put her self-sabotaging demons to rest. She now has greater conviction that her problem-solving strength is just what is needed to address some of the big challenges that her business faces. In particular, her ability to bridge the chasm between business and technology departments makes her a prized asset.
As leaders, we need to be role models for our teams, proud of our accomplishments. There is good evidence that it is contagious. Dan Schawbel in his book, Back to Human: How Great Leaders Create Connection in the Age of Isolation, points to research that shows that well-being is like a virus, meaning that if you have a high level of it, your positive state will rub off onto your colleagues.
Once Karen took the time to get in touch with what she was most proud of having accomplished for the year, her mindset shifted and others caught the bug. It rejuvenated her leadership style of showing kindness to people. She connected face to face with her team members and asked them what they were most proud of having accomplished for the year. It made a difference to them to be acknowledged for their achievements to complete the year.
It gave Karen a renewed sense of fulfilment about her work. What’s more it opened up the opportunity to create a year of vitality as her theme for next year.
What are you most proud of having accomplished this year?
Best regards, Brian