Practicing

Written By Cynthia Gill

Your practices make or break your leadership, and I invite you to explore your own practices–both those you are intentional about and those you run in the background. I talk and write about practicing all the time, and I want to take some time to discuss what this means for you in your leadership. 

One type of practice is a new skill you acquire. You practice a bit, and you have it down. This is the kind of breakthrough we remember clearly as before and after. Yes, this requires practice, but once we have it down, we have the muscle memory and can call on this new skill at will. 

For example, you practice learning to run a meeting effectively, or leading a team. You have to do a lot of things all at once to do it well. But once you learn how, through trial and error, training, or feedback, you have that down. You know quickly when things are off, and you can correct course, or pause and see what’s wrong.

This kind of practice is like learning to ride a bike or drive. It is really scary and messy at first, as you have to juggle and balance (literally, for a bike ride) many factors, and change course. You may learn new skills, or encounter really challenging situations, or even some limits for you. But you probably don’t need to constantly focus on the mechanics once you have them down–you don’t think about it, you just do it.

In contrast, some practices are not learned and internalized as quickly. They take active practice. Balancing presence and challenge is an active practice for many of my clients (and for me!). Being grateful and wanting more is another active practice for many, or taking care of yourself vs taking care of others. 

This kind of practice is like a yoga balance pose. It’s rarely something you learn and do without thinking. It takes active balance, every time. The more you practice, the better you get, and some days are easier than others. Also, it may be less challenging to find balance when you bring ease to the practice, rather than holding on tightly.

As a leader, you grow when you bring intention to what is active practice for you. I invite you to explore:

  • What practice helps you explore where your “growth edge” is? That is, where are you in active practice learning new skills and habits? 

  • What practices do you need to craft for your leadership to be successful? The most effective leaders actively balance and hold conflicting values–such as being both fair and flexible. The most challenging leaders and organizations hold tight to one value despite their downsides.

  • What practices are not serving you well? These may be learned behaviors that worked great as you moved up the ranks, but are no longer working for your current situation or organization.

  • How do you reflect on your practices? Do you take time to reflect, on your own, with a mentor or coach, or with a trusted colleague?

I know many leaders expect that shifts they make are made once, that you have the insight and get on with it. But for most of us, that’s not how it happens. Active practice is where your growth edge is, and where you will continue to evolve and bring out the best in yourself. It’s where the deepest change comes from.

Your areas of active practice are where you best leadership comes from–its a place of continued growth and development. I hear a lot of judgement that leaders bring when they are constantly learning the same lesson. But this is often the sign of continued growth, not relapse. You can learn to apply a lesson you have learned to more and more challenging situations, and to truly unleash deep leadership through these insights. I hope you can all bring some of this self-kindness to your own leadership practice.

Please reach out if you want to learn more about practices! And please:

Cynthia Gill
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Letting Go