A Prepared Heart

Am I prepared for this?

You must prepare your heart to lead. I’ve let a lot of things sneak up on me over time. Sometimes it’s been a meeting, other times it’s an important holiday or anniversary. I think we’ve all experienced the dread and anxiety involved in approaching an event and trying to wing it or bluff our way through, hoping we can survive without too much collateral damage to our reputation and image. 

Today I am reminding you that leadership is a daily activity. Many days your innate skills and talents can carry you through the mundane and trivial; however, you can rarely predict when the challenging days will come upon you. If you aren’t preparing your heart, mind, body and soul for leadership, you risk getting blindsided by an incoming haymaker that could put you down for the count. 

So, how should you prepare your heart to lead? First, don’t start the morning without some form of meditation. Don’t pick up the phone, don’t read your email, just take those first twenty minutes with a cup of coffee and get your mind straight; even it means being a few minutes late to the office. 

Keep a handy list of the people in your organization and think about them. What does each individual need from you today? If you come across a name that gives you pause, or tugs at your heart, take a minute and understand why. Am I avoiding an important conversation? Is there a conflict I need to resolve? Have I been meeting my own expectations for leadership with regard to this person? Am I leading them well? Commit in the moment to lead each of your people well in the day ahead.

Next, step back and visualize your organization. Are the critical functions operating well? Is there a team, a group, a process that gives you pause? What is it you need to address today to protect the future of your organization? 

Lastly, remind yourself of the vision. Tell yourself why you are leading and visualize the outcomes necessary for the organization to achieve in the coming day. It is only with a well-prepared heart that you will have the capacity to face the unexpected challenges and shepherd the organization safely to the fulfillment of the vision. 

Now Go, Lead…