What happens when things don’t go as planned in business and life? Do you respond or react to roadblocks? Are they problems or opportunities to try something different?
Do you expect the people around you to “just make it happen”, or are you open to new possibilities presented in the form of disappointment or perceived failure?
Your answers are more important than you might think. How you view roadblocks has a profound impact on the ability of your teams to work towards solutions.
We live and lead in a culture that often devalues reflection. When something’s not working, there is the temptation to pivot or change direction without reflecting on why things turned out the way they did. The “just get it done!” culture isn’t conducive to learning about ourselves, our operating style, and the extent to which we collaborate with others, which might impact our efforts and that of others. The pressure to perform can also lead us to ignore alternative approaches.
It’s time to flip the script on the three-stage life thinking
There are several ways to challenge and change how we identify and deal with perceived and real roadblocks. Reflection needs to be our starting place, not our last resort.
Daniel Forrester addresses the tension of reflection and action for individuals and organizations in his book Consider: Harnessing the Power of Reflective Thinking in Your Organization. He states that we all have a “human need for think time,” and goes on to say that “there is a tempo that envelops us driven by technology, connectedness, and our bias for action and immediate response. It’s a pulsating and often unforgiving pace that swirls when we are awake and even as we sleep.”1
When leaders model reflection and self-management, they empower their teams to do the same. When reflective thinking is the norm, innovative solutions flow.
LCP Global’s approach to working with leaders and their teams is built around the importance of reflection and self-management. Our mentoring program is built around The 5 Leadership Anchors™ and designed to empower and equip leaders to help their organizations redefine and flip the script on roadblocks.
References
1. Forrester, Daniel P. Consider: Harnessing the Power of Reflective Thinking in Your Organization. 1st ed., Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. p. 10.
Further reading
For more on flipping the script on roadblocks to redefine success, grab your copy of When Leaders Are Lost, now also available on Audible.