I love going to rock concerts. I love the energy in the venue (or on the side of a grassy hill at a vineyard) and experiencing my favourite bands perform their songs live. I also love being surprised when a band improvises and interprets one of their songs (or another artist’s) in a new or unique way.
I’m also a bit of a hard rock / heavy metal fan and have seen many bands with a lot of hair and guitar riffs!
(Side note: the picture on my mum’s wall with my flowing locks from the late 80s is a real treat).
A few years ago I saw one of my favourite bands from the 80s in a “farewell” tour. This was the third time I’d seen this band over the past twenty or so years and I was severely disappointed. Unfortunately you could tell they were just going through the paces, maybe just showing up for the money. They were playing the same hit songs, however there was no enthusiasm, no banter, no energy. It was sad.
You know the behind the scenes footage of bands getting ready before a gig, in a circle, setting the scene, saying a prayer and creating a positive mindset and energy? I’m pretty sure there was none of this from this band and it showed.
How they showed up was immediately known and made an instant impact.
The support band, however, brought the house down with what they delivered to the stage and quite frankly they were a million times better.
Top performers from the music business, stage, art and sport know how they show up impacts their success. This is also true for leaders. Whether you like it or not, you are on show. The energy, enthusiasm, mindset, intent and focus a leader brings to their work environment every day influences the culture. It becomes a ’trickle-down’ culture.
I worked with a leader recently, who through pausing, focusing on his breath and centering his energy before his team’s daily morning meeting, shifted the effectiveness of these meetings significantly.
There are lots of things that can influence how you show up every day. These include your health, morning routine, physical environment and relationships.
Key aspects to consider:
- Self-awareness – becoming aware of how you show up, how your Strengths interplay with one another and how your energy affects a room.
- Health – take action on any health niggles, nourish your body, get good sleep, work on your habits. Jump on over and listen to my chat with Dave Conley to learn some practical tips on changing your health habits.
- Morning routine – create a solid and inspiring morning routine to get your mind into work mode. The best routine is the one that fits YOU – check out some suggestions here. Utilise your journey to work by being purposeful of how you can spend it. Tip: create a music or bite-sized podcast episode playlist that inspires you for the day ahead.
- Physical environment – a cluttered desk = a cluttered mind (inbox, desk space, etc). Take time to organise your work and digital environments to help focus your mind and reduce your stress. Checkout this guide to a clutter-free desk and 9 Hacks To Declutter Your Workspace.
- Relationships – they are interconnected, so how you show up within your relationships outside of work will affect your work relationships too. Commit to expressing yourself openly and honestly, being clear and concise, and also continue to work on the most important relationship in your life – the one with yourself.
- Daily reflection – at the end of each day, pause to reflect on what went well and what your new focus is for the next day. Prepare and plan for the next day and the next week – this will help you to stay on track and focused.
- The power of the pause – take a small moment to pause before you start a meeting, a presentation, an important phone call (or a rock concert!) or when you are reacting to a situation or a conversation. Breathe, focus on what success looks like and centre yourself. There is so much power and respect in this, both for yourself and for others.
Reflection point – Are you picking up and taking action on early health signs, just as you would take action on metrics not being delivered on at work?
For more on this topic check out the “How You Show Up” conversation in the Leaders Who Give a Damn podcast series with Becky Hammond from Isogo Strong.
Becky is a maven in the Strengths world, who partners with organisations to build engaged cultures where people thrive. Becky also inspires couples and mums to look at life differently through a lens of strengths, focusing on what’s right and getting more flow back into their lives. You can listen to this episode of the Inspired Energy podcast on your favourite platform.
Also check out www.leaderswhogiveadamn.com to complete the free quiz to find out if you’re a leader who gives a damn and the Leaders Who Give A Damn online program.