Can 90 days really change anything?
Ask that question to anyone who has been a part of the hit show 90 Day Fiancé, and the answer would be a resounding yes! The idea of a “90 day program” seems to be a common period of time for a lot of things these days, whether it’s evaluating a new employee for long-term job suitability, or simply trying out a fad diet or exercise program. The whole idea is that if you can commit to a certain behavior or routine for 90 days, then you can have a pretty good idea of whether you are going to get good long-term results by continuing the program. So, I began wondering recently if it would be possible for a person to really make dramatic gains in their leadership journey over the same period of time. What would happen if you intently focused on your leadership growth for 90 days?
The idea of growing your leadership in 90 days may seem a little abstract at first blush, but I believe that just like any other endeavor, the most critical element is the willingness to take the first step. Each one of you reading this is at a different place in your journey, so the starting line is going to look a little different depending on how long you’ve been pursuing your own vision. The idea here is to first establish a baseline for your current leadership, and then set some specific benchmarks to measure success in the next 90 days. To get the best results, you will need to set aside your pride and be open to the idea that there is something for all of us to gain if we can be humble enough to learn.
WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?
Let’s start with setting some baselines. Maybe a simple question to kick this off is “What needs to change?” This is a really good starter, and the answer will ultimately determine the trajectory of the next 90 days. I’ll forewarn you though that the answer may be uncomfortable and depending on your courage to face it, this challenge could be over before you ever take the first step. So, let’s get started on this. Grab your journal (or download one from NGL). Write down the question and take about 20 minutes to search your soul for the answers. If you find yourself not coming up with much, the assessment below may be a beneficial guide.
If you had trouble answering some of the questions above, it could be that some of the basic assumptions are wrong. The assessment assumes you already have a vision and are currently responsible for leading a group of people. If that is not your current situation, that’s okay. We need to start somewhere. There are a lot of great tools out there to help you with setting a vision for yourself or your organization, and that in and of itself would be a great 90 day goal for you. Nevertheless, you should now have enough data to start forming a picture of what the next 90 days could look like for your leadership journey.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?
Now that we have some baseline data, we can start considering the practical steps towards measurable progress. Take your lowest two or three personal assessment ratings and run them through the filter of “What needs to change?”. We now need to think critically about what needs to be done in order to make improvements. Let’s walk through an example:
I am disciplined with my time and not letting daily distractions slow me down (RATE 1-10): 3
What needs to change?
I need more focus.
What needs to be done?
- I need to remove some specific distractions from my life.
- I need greater discipline and accountability around my screen time
- I need to address a relationship issue that is distracting my leadership
It’s really not much more difficult than that. The hard part is actually sticking to the plan. But imagine if you will, what could happen to your leadership if you were to gain merely four hours a week that are currently being sucked away by a trivial app on your phone or a toxic relationship issue that you are allowing to persist.
HOW WILL I MEASURE SUCCESS?
With a plan in place, I recommend you get some outside accountability in place to help you stay on track and measure your success. Personally, I am a huge fan of Wickman’s Traction ideas, but whatever the case, you’ll need weekly check-ins with your accountability person or team to keep things on track.
Going back to our previous example, let’s say that you have determined that your goal for the next 9 days is to capture 4 hours of leadership focus every week. The reality is that on the outset you may not fully be aware of every distraction that is keeping you from the focus you need. Nevertheless, the most important step is to start.
What needs to change?
I need more focus.
What needs to be done?
- I need to remove some specific distractions from my life.
- I need greater discipline and accountability around my screen time
- I need to address a relationship issue that is distracting my leadership
How will I measure success?
- I will track my ability to gain four hours of leadership focus each week
Weekly To Do(s):
- Add intentional focus time to my calendar
- Remove Facebook app from my phone
Each week as you track your progress, it is important to identify the behaviors or issues that are keeping you from meeting your goals. As these things manifest themselves, you should create a personal task list that you will commit to addressing before the next weekly check-in. Trust me, after 90 days of small, but intentional steps, you will have made significant progress along your journey.
The last, and often overlooked, step in the 90 Day Challenge is to celebrate the gains. Of course I’d love to hear your story myself, but even if you decide not to trumpet your success to the world, your accountability group will be a great group to share in your victory. I’m truly looking forward to watching your leadership improve in the next 90 days. It’s time to embark on the next great stretch in your leadership journey!
Now Go, Lead…
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