Being in the State of Flow

Have you ever felt completely absorbed in a task, losing track of time and effortlessly achieving a high level of focus and productivity? This state of heightened awareness and engagement is known as “flow.” For leaders, harnessing the power of flow can significantly enhance their effectiveness and overall well-being.

Flow, or being “in the zone,” is a mental state where you’re fully immersed in an activity. It’s characterized by a sense of effortless focus, clarity, and intrinsic motivation. When leaders experience flow, they can tackle complex challenges with ease, make sound decisions, and inspire their teams.

Connecting to Greatness

Have you thought about what inspires you to achieve greatness? Does the thought of it excite and drive you, or does it overwhelm?

Napoleon Hill said, “If you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way. Don’t wait for great opportunities. Seize common, everyday ones and make them great.”

Create Your Own Momentum

Have you ever gotten so wrapped up in a project that you completely lost track of time? It feels great when that happens – you’re working “in the zone” and are usually in a peak productive state.

But how can you replicate that feeling on a regular basis? You need to learn to create your own momentum. What you’ll find is that although it’s a little different for each person, certain factors are universal.

A Deeper Dive

Have you ever faced a problem that was so complex that you found it difficult to solve?

Of course, you have. Everyone goes through this from time to time. I’ve noticed that people go into a state of spin as they try to solve them. This is because typically they only address the issues on the surface. They don’t take that “deeper dive” to get to the core issue.

The Post-Labor Day Energy Surge

Even though many schools return to the fall semester in August, traditionally, the week after Labor Day in the U.S. signifies the return to school. It’s an exciting time for students: fresh school supplies, seeing old friends, making new ones, and return to the business of learning.

It’s a little different in the workplace. Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer, after which people return to business as usual. Goodbye to the more relaxed office environment and early Friday departures.

First Quarter: Look Back and Look Ahead

“The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.”
– Walt Disney

The first quarter of 2024 is coming to an end and after you get your breath, it’s worthwhile to look back and review the past three months. Here is a brief checklist to use as a guide and to set yourself up for a strong year

Pile It On!

During the last few weeks, people have seemed busier. New business opportunities are cropping up and people are responding with appropriate enthusiasm. One of my colleagues commented that work is flowing her way and she’s delighted with the influx.

Although leaders are thrilled with the inflow, the challenging aspect is managing it. This obviously flows downstream in the organization. Managers are complaining about their grouchy team members who are balking at the increase in work.

May I Have Your Attention…Please?

Recently, CBS Sunday Morning featured a story on our shrinking attention span. Obviously, this is not a new topic; in fact I’ve been writing about it for years. That said, were a few takeaways and reminders worth highlighting.

Psychologist and attention span researcher, Dr. Gloria Mark, provided an interesting statistic. When her team researched attention spans two decades ago, on average the people in the study shifted attention every two and a half minutes.

Laser Focus

I received some great comments on last week’s column on “Think Time.” Although it’s a relatively simple concept, it isn’t that easy to implement consistently. Over time, tight schedules take over and people forget about it, schedule over it, or procrastinate doing it.

The comments triggered a good segue to a directly related theme. One of the factors that differentiates top performers from everyone else: they stay focused on the result. They think about how their work can have the greatest impact on the result. This is an example of think time in action.

A Little Think Time Goes a Long Way

My executive clients bemoan the fact that they “can’t get anything done” during the business day, and in fact, “the real work begins after 5:30.” Their schedules are filled with meetings, calls, email and putting out fires.

One study revealed that CEOs average only 6 hours a week working alone. Think about this: the day-to-day “stuff” dwarfs the strategic elements of the job.

Leadership is a Mindset

Tag: Self-Management