Skip to content

UXL Blog

“Creating Successful Leaders”

December 3, 2013 If It’s Getting Too Easy, Shake It Up

We’re all familiar with that awful feeling of being stuck on a plateau, in a dry spell, up a river without a paddle, whatever you want to call it. After the excitement and challenge of learning something new, we get to the point of proficiency, and there is where you’ll encounter the deadly lull.

This is because your brain lights up to new challenges, releasing that feel-good chemical we call dopamine as a reward for reaching new milestones. You know what I’m talking about: that feeling you get when you finally nail the recipe that you never figured you could make, or hitting a personal fitness goal you thought impossible. It’s the joy of landing the big job, acing the tough class, or taking on a project that’s ripe for new personal growth. In other words, it’s the satisfaction that comes after long hours of frustration and failure where you go, “I got this!”

Unfortunately, once you get it, “its” magic wears off a bit. You do this new skill over and over, until your brain no longer feels challenged by what once took your full concentration. Welcome to proficiency, where it’s not a big deal anymore. It’s expected.

Author Whitney Johnson argues that the way to combat a plateau is to implement some personal disruption, writing that “We may be quite adept at doing the math around our future when things are linear, but neither business nor life is linear, and ultimately what our brain needs, even requires, is the dopamine of the unpredictable. More importantly, as we inhabit an increasingly zig-zag world, the best curve you can throw the competition is your ability to leap from one learning curve to the next.”

Don’t think of seeking out new challenges as a task you must do in order to meet the demands of the world at large. Instead, do it for yourself. Want to get that burst of accomplishment you used to get when you were still learning? Then seek out new tasks that push you outside where you’re already proficient. This is where real growth happens, and real growth leads to mastery.

Tags: , , , , ,

November 27, 2013 Staying Thankful Amid The Holiday Chaos

Last year around Thanksgiving I wrote a blog post about our choice to be thankful, even when things are tough. The process of writing the post reminded me that when I stop to consider my blessings, I can’t help but be truly thankful. What gets in the way of this, I wrote, is the distraction the holiday season brings with it: the planning, the baking, the cleaning, rearranging our homes for relatives, and on and on. We often get so caught up in the chaos of the holidays that we forget to enjoy them for what they are.

Thankfulness, gratitude, feeling blessed–are these feelings you’re in tune with this season? If not, I challenge you to think of all the people in your corner, all the opportunities you’ve been given, and even the mistakes you’ve made and (hopefully) learned from. When you truly consider these things, I doubt you’ll have trouble finding a reason to be grateful.

There are times when life is tough, and I don’t say that in the cliche, “life gives you lemons” way. I know many who’ve been laid off, or lost their home, or spouse, or struggle with a debilitating disease. Things none of us could possibly predict spring up on people for no clear reason, and this happens all the time. It’s one of the unfortunate parts of being human. I know that we all struggle, and I know our struggles don’t always seem fair. How do you stay thankful even in the midst of hard times?

From my experience, the answer is found in surrounding yourself with people close to you. It’s almost magical how being around loved ones transforms your view of the situation. When I go home after a bad day, the last thing I think will help is talking it over with my husband. “How’s talking about it going to help? I’m a person of  action!” I think to myself. But without fail, talking to my husband does help. Does it change the situation? Of course not. But does it realign my perspective and my priorities? Absolutely.

At the end of the day, our happiness comes from the relationships with friends, family, and our greater community. Which is why Thanksgiving is such a great time: It offers us a chance to reset our priorities precisely because we find ourselves surrounded by our greatest cheerleaders. Take the opportunity this season to express your love and gratitude to these wonderful folks. You know who they are.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tags: , , ,

November 21, 2013 4 Ways To Delegate More Effectively

When done properly, delegation is a win-win. You end up saving time, and the person you’ve passed work onto feels valued for their unique skills. Why is it, then, that more people swamped with work don’t delegate?

Because Delegation Takes Up-Front Work

Many leaders find that it takes them more time and effort just to bring others up to speed, when what they’re trying to do is lessen their workload. Why delegate if it ends up being more work in the first place?

It’s true that you’ll need to work harder and longer when you’re preparing to delegate tasks. There will be meetings, training, negotiations, and the inevitable hiccup. But if you take the necessary time to delegate in a meaningful way, you’ll end up saving far more time and energy in the long run.

How do you do this?

Know Your Team

This is where it comes in handy to know the people who you work alongside better than just knowing their name or where they went to school. When you’re familiar with their interests, passions, and experiences, you’ll find delegation much easier. You won’t be guessing, fingers crossed, that George can take care of the task you’re passing off. You’ll be confident that he can, because you know George, and man is George competent.

What’s more, knowing your team will let you sleep better at night. Just as every mother must let their children go off into the real world at some point, so too will you need to let go of the desire to obsess over the tasks you’ve passed on to others. They’ll appreciate that you trust them enough to leave it in their hands, and you’ll be able to focus on other things.

Plan Well

If you’re delegating to a group of people, you’ll need to hold a meeting or two beforehand to help build unity within the group. They’ll go off and tackle bits of the greater project, sure, but it helps them to know how their contribution functions within the whole. It also helps you stay mentally organized as you’re the one keeping track of all the loose ends.

Which leads to…

Check In

While you should trust your team to perform well, it isn’t micromanaging to do frequent check-ins on status. Keep it friendly, and be open to their feedback. They often have great ideas to contribute and they’ll feel appreciated when you take their ideas seriously.

If you’re worried that it may be too hard to ensure that your standards are being implemented by those you’ve delegated work to, fear not, but be sure to…

Have Clear Deadlines, Goals and Expectations From The Get Go

And be specific about them. It’s better to over-prepare in the beginning and be able to ease off as your team gets up to speed than it is to go into a project unorganized and be forced to pull people off projects.

Tags: , , , ,