Leadership isn’t defined by every moment — it’s defined by how we react to defining moments.”
Give yourself a leadership score from last week.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how did you do?
1 — not so good | 10 — awesome
Now ask yourself another question: what influenced that score? I will guess with almost complete certainty, there was a specific moment that drove the number you chose.
As leaders, we experience these moments every day. Something happens. We react. Then there’s a consequence; positive or negative.
The key question a leader should ask is: What did I learn from that experience?
Here are three simple concepts to help you learn from those moments and improve your leadership every day: Reflection, Defining Moments, and Trajectory.
Reflection
This is where your leadership learning and growth occurs. If we don’t take time to reflect, we miss the opportunity to learn from our experiences. Many leaders move quickly from one event, decision, or challenge, to the next. Pause to assess what just happened and you will be rewarded with valuable lessons.
When and where do you reflect; Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly? In your office, car, or on a walk. A simple recommendation: reflect daily at a place where you capture your lessons learned.
A few minutes at the end of the day can help you identify what worked, what didn’t, and how you want to respond next time. Daily reflection builds awareness, and awareness is the foundation of leadership improvement.
Defining Moments
Leadership happens in the moment. Every day presents us with defining moments. Such as a; positive interaction with a teammate, difficult conversation, challenge with a stakeholder, or decision made under pressure.
The moment itself doesn’t define you as a leader. Your reaction does.
When you think back to the score you gave yourself for last week, what defining moment most influenced it?
Maybe it was a moment when you handled a situation exceptionally well. Or maybe it was a moment you wish you could backup the video and replay it differently. Either way, those moments matter because they shape your leadership performance.
Trajectory
This is the direction your leadership is moving. Every defining moment impacts its trajectory positively or negatively.
Did your response move things in a positive way? Did it strengthen relationships, build trust, or improve the situation? Or, did it push things in a negative direction and create frustration or setbacks?
Each defining moment becomes a point of inflection in your leadership journey. Over time, these moments big and small accumulate and determine the trajectory of your leadership effectiveness.
How are you tracking your trajectory to ensure you learn from each defining moment?
A Simple Daily Leadership Habit
If you want to improve as a leader, build a habit of daily reflection.
At the end of each day, ask yourself three simple questions:
- What was my leadership score today?
- What were the defining moments?
- What did my reaction do to the trajectory of my leadership?
These take only a few minutes and have the potential to dramatically increase your awareness and leadership growth.
They also reveal patterns in your leadership behavior. Armed with data you have the power to continually and intentionally shape the trajectory of your leadership.
