In this final installment of the It’s Worth It blog series, our theme is “Leadership can be tough, but it’s worth it.”

As I’ve shared, March has been a trying time for me and the team. In an instant, we had to find, onboard and acclimate to a new tech team, after 20 years with one person. Because we own two tech companies, Virtual Academy Builder and Magpai, the stakes – and the stress – were high. Daily, I heard my mom whispering to me from heaven, this too shall pass, Janie, this too shall pass.

The good news is, we are on the other side, with a fabulous tech team that includes 3 senior developers and an amazing client care team. This evolution will enable us to serve clients and scale Magpai, like never before.

So, now that the storm has cleared, I used my morning practice (and this blog) to reflect back to the weeks prior, when we were all in the eye of the storm. I want to take note of how I showed up as a leader for my team and where I may have dropped the ball.

Where I kicked ass…

When the shit hit and the crisis was uncovered, I dawned my Superwoman cape, remained calm and went into immediate action. I asked powerful questions and didn’t let my partner’s stress or worry keep me from finding the solution.

I remained open and creative. My natural instinct to seek solutions “outside” the norm, kicked in. My synapsis was firing on all cylinders and the solution revealed itself quickly.

I trusted I was being guided. While it was scary and stressful, I knew we would be stronger as a company. I encouraged the team and vowed to get us to the other side. Mission accomplished.

Where I didn’t kick ass…

I stopped taking care of myself. When under stress, its natural to direct our energy toward solving the problem. But to scale the cliff, we need to operate at our best – mentally, physically and spiritually.

My productivity plummeted. I found it hard to concentrate on the “important but not urgent” things on the list. Because I lost my sense of flow, my forward movement slowed and so did the teams’.

What I noticed…

I wasn’t always the leader I could have been. Whether moments of impatience with team members, wanting to withdraw or taking my eye off our vision… there were places I could have done better.

But that’s OK.

Leading isn’t always easy. Sometimes we kick ass, and sometimes not so much. But what 36 years in business has taught me is that it’s the tough times that shape us into the leader we aspire to be.

How about you? Do you ever fall short of being the leader you want to be? Do you ever feel like you are a pebble inside a tumbler, being tossed around in the chaos?

If yes, remember that it’s in the tumbling, that smooths out the rough edges that keep us from being the leader we know we can be.

Here are a few intentions I am taking forward regarding leadership.

  • Dawn the cape, ask powerful questions and stay committed to finding a solution.
  • Be a calm and encouraging voice to put others at ease.
  • Trust that I am being taken care of and that the solution will come.
  • Amp up my personal care to scale the cliff with more ease.
  • Distract myself from the bigger problem by completing little wins.

Today, I am grateful for my long-time team and our new-found rockstar’s that got us through the mess.

But most of all, I am grateful for my willingness to embrace who I am, be kind to myself while also calling myself to the next level of being the leader I want to be.

My Gift to You

In leadership, awareness is the first step to empowered, lasting change. That’s why I’ve created my Leadership Check-Up. In just 2 minutes, you will spot where you are kicking ass as a leader and find places in which you can grow. Click here to take the leadership check up and in return, I will send you my 12 Guiding Principles of Conscious Leadership that has guided me for years.

Have an awesome week!

Jane

 


 

Looking for inspiration for creating a plan to take your business to the next level? Find out where you are on track in business and what missing pieces may be holding you back. Click here to take the Business Acceleration Quiz. I’ll respond with some thoughts and inspiration. ;0)