Resolutions, Habits and Overcoming Fears

Are you a rip the band-aid off kind of person? Or a slowly peel it away person?

Do you jump into the pool without testing the water? Or do you ease yourself in?

Do you download the marathon training plan and go? Or do you first work your way up to a 5k?

Each of these scenarios has the same outcome—the band-aid is off, you are in the pool, you are following a running program—but the steps and mindset to getting there are very different.

It’s the difference between stating a resolution—having that purposeful mindset to make a change, and starting a habit—repeatable smaller steps with incremental goals to achieve the desired change.

No matter if you are wired for the big leap or need smaller steps, making changes means accepting there is risk involved to overcoming fears and anxieties.

How does all this talk about resolutions and habits fit into leadership development?

When we coach executives or lead workshops for managers, it is amazing how many leaders are confident “there must be a better way,” but fail to take steps to make significant changes. Why? They don’t want to take a risk that might not work out. The fear of failure keeps them from moving forward.

A lot of their worries and barriers to taking actions usually revolve around these three if/then statements:

• Quality: If I make this change, then…our outputs go up/down.
• Time: If I do this, then…it is/isn’t a good use of time.
• Relationships: If I do this, then…it’s going to positively/negatively impact my career.

Even though each if/then statement has both a positive and negative outlook, the fear of failure outweighs the reward.

Here are two examples of common behaviors, and the associated fears of change, that we often see in leaders that are holding them back. And we give examples of resolutions and habits that leaders can make to help them break their cycles and move themselves forward.

Behavior: Hard time delegating
Fear: Work won’t be as good, don’t trust others to meet deadlines, you know how to do it the “right” way, etc.
Resolution: Commit to delegating one project (not a task) to a member of your team. Schedule regular check-ins, but DO NOT take on any tasks or duties, and only offer advice or guidance when asked. When the project is complete, that person will have gained valuable experience while proving their capabilities. Delegate another project to them and then see which other team members are ready to prove themselves!
Outcome: Leaders often learn their team is more capable than they expected, and watching others approach and complete tasks in a different way helps us grow.

Behavior: Bad time management and work/life balance
Fear: Need to be available at all times, hard time saying no to meetings—even when they conflict with personal time, etc.
Habit: For the next month, commit to taking a true lunch break one day each week. Block the time on the calendar and decline all meetings that come up in that time slot. During that period get away from your desk and eat or do something active in a different setting—no scrolling on your phone! At the end of the month, reflect on how you felt on those days when you gave yourself a break versus days where you might have worked through lunch. Over the next four months, keep adding in days of the week where you have blocked out lunch for yourself.
Outcome: Giving yourself a mental break is important, as is getting away from technology. It gives you time to recharge, upping productivity.

Two behaviors, two different ways to approach making a change. One is all-in, and one has small steps, and both get the leader to a better place for themselves and their team.

Make this the year you overcome your fears and take the steps and leaps needed to grow and develop as a leader!

Want to talk to someone about starting this journey for yourself? Reach out, we’d love to chat.