We humans are facing a new disorder. It’s called Nature-Deficit Disorder a phrase coined by researcher Richard Louv. NDD is the human cost of alienation from nature. I learned about this listening to CBC and it struck me like a bolt of lightning. One of the many reasons that people are feeling so disconnected from themselves is the lack of time spent in nature. I see it again and again with leaders that I coach. When I ask them about their ideal day or what they are craving to do that would be renewing they all say – be in nature…by the water, walking in forests, climbing a mountain peak.

Richard Louv states in his book The Nature Principle. “The future will belong to the nature-smart – those individuals, families, businesses and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the natural world and who balances the virtual with the real. The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need.”

Studies show that without regular immersion in nature, we can suffer from physical and emotional distress, including anxiety, depression and obesity. While the research is focused primarily on children, I wholly believe that this is a human challenge that is significantly impacting leaders and organizations.

When coaching leaders, part of the task is to help them find their centre where they can be most aligned, grounded and confident. I work with them on different ways that they can get new perspective and how to expand their thinking about self and their role. This often leads to some form of finding their way into nature – be it daily, weekly or monthly. One client takes a New Moon Retreat where she takes herself into nature for a day to vision, reflect, and renew. Others rediscover a long lost childhood activity like riding a bike so they can feel the freedom of movement and wind in their hair as they explore. For others, it’s the simplicity of taking a walk at lunch.

There have been times where I’ve taken clients on guided nature experiences like a walk in the woods or a trip to the beach. We use the natural elements as metaphors for their experience and to help them envision their future. I see them soften and relax in nature. As they do so they uncover something deeper and more powerful than if we were sitting in the concrete jungle that is their office. They come alive and more creative in nature.

To be whole and integrated in your leadership, here are a few suggestions to try. All will wake up your senses and provide quiet time for renewal – the magical ingredient that helps ground people and sustain more vibrant leadership.

1. Take 10 minutes each day to just be outside.

2. Take off your shoes and walk in the grass, sand, mud or puddles. This is an especially good way of shifting energy and letting go of tension.

3. Walk in the forest. Don’t just look at the trees and grasses, touch them – feel their texture.

4. Start your day in nature – a quiet coffee on your deck, a walk or jog.

5. Walk to work.

6. Watch a sun rise or sunset. Settle in for the magic of the whole experience.

7. Go outside, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Enjoy using your senses of smell, hearing and touch instead of relying on visual cues.

I invite readers to share their tip for using nature as a place of renewal. My hope is that this will spark some awareness about the importance of going back to nature. It’s an essential source for leadership success.

Twenty one years ago to this day I became a Mom for the first time. Our son Ryan Frood Hawke was born prematurely at 29 weeks. He has forever changed my life. Today he is my greatest mentor and guide. His life of five weeks was short and yet powerful in many ways. His life and death caused a major shift in my life that woke me up to my calling and the work I do today. I am abundantly thankful for the imprint that Ryan has left on me. I try daily to live the lessons I learned from him.

Twenty one in person years represents a new stage of maturity. It’s a transition time to independence; to a new level of maturity and freedom. That’s what I’m reflecting on today – the new stage of maturity that I am standing in as a mother.

Ryan brought me into motherhood. Since then Shannon and Jason have nurtured me and taught me through the journey as we have grown up together. I’ve learned that parenting is an elegant dance of sharing and loving, giving and taking, certainty and uncertainty, simplicity and complexity. Parenting is a deep, binding connection. It is a role of limitless possibilities and infinite creativity. It requires a commitment to continuous learning, discovery and flexibility.

As a 21-year old Mom, I know that Ryan’s legacy is about living whole-heartedly. Ryan’s purpose was to help me open up to the magic and mysteries of loving with no boundaries and being vulnerable. Through that I have been willing and able to more openly share my heart.

Thankfully I learned early that it’s not my role as Mom to control the journey but rather to be with as each of my children has taken their first breath and with Ryan his last. Each new step, new school year, new passion and strength discovered, each new stage of independence achieved – all I have really needed to do was to just be present.

So turning 21 as a Mom brings me to a state of ease. I now realize that I know enough for this important role. Ryan, Shannon and Jason each have abundant wisdom about what their path is and I just get to be a partner with them in their own discovery and experience. I’ve learned to trust my instincts and to respect theirs. I’ve learned to be patient and to be open to discoveries. Humbly I’ve had to learn that I do not have all the answers and despite my intention to be loving and caring can be annoying sometimes.

On the day that Peter and I got married, these words from 1st Corinthians 13 were read. Today they have special meaning as I also reflect on the deep love I have come to know as a mother.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

I occupy many roles in life. However, the role of Mom is definitively and deliciously the one I hold most dear. Thank you Ryan for anointing me as your mother 21 years ago today. Thank you Shannon for helping me be courageous enough to love wholeheartedly again. Thank you Jason for showing me the fun, joy and ease of mothering. Endless thanks to Peter, my husband, who has been my partner in parenting these last 21 years. Without him, I would have been lost along the way. We make amazing kids together.

I won’t say I’m all grown up but I am certainly feeling a new sense of maturity as a Mom today. Here’s to the continuing journey.

I’ve been noticing a trend lately with a lot of my clients; especially those assuming new levels of responsibility or wanting to shift to working at a more strategic level. They have a really, REALLY hard time delegating. This is clearly a leader’s edge.

As I’ve worked with them I’ve noticed a few common themes and beliefs that are barriers to delegation.
1. They all value excellence in performance; they have high standards of themselves and others
2. They pride themselves in deliverying quality outcomes…consistently
3. They don’t want to overburden colleagues or direct reports who are overwhelmed
4. They develop mastery by hands on application so it’s hard to let go of tasks that they are good at and enjoy
5. They find it hard to ask people to do things that they are capable of doing
6. They find it hard to trust others especially when their credibility is on the line

So, it seems the odds are stacked really high against delegating. The result: a leader who is overwhelmed as they are taking on new responsibilities. An unintended result is employees who are neither fully empowered nor able to maximize their skills.

To help these clients shift their perspective and get unstuck, we’ve developed a few key steps together on how they can learn to delegate and be comfortable doing so.

First we talk about what it will take for the leader to trust the staff they are delegating to. This is often a revealing and challenging conversation as it becomes clear that the barrier to delegation is not the capabilities of others but rather their own fears of letting go. Once we identify factors that will help create trust in the delegation equation, we use that for the following stepped process.

1. Have a well designed conversation with the person you will be delegating to. The purpose is to create good mutual understanding and agreements to assure that the project will achieve its goals. This process is called Designing the Alliance so that both parties have a clear understanding of how the process will unfold. Both parties should declare what they need to be successful and how they will communicate through the project.

2. Make sure the staff person is willing to own the goals and be accountable for the outcomes. Sample design questions are:
To really own this project, what do you need?
To be comfortable with the accountability for this project, what do you need?

3. Ask the staff person to develop a work plan and present it to you. Upon review, affirm elements that you are comfortable with. Offer additional suggestions to assure that your expectations are also met. Use this as a teaching process and share your experience in similar situations.

4. Agree on how you will receive updates on the project including frequency and method. Talk about why these updates are important i.e. your need to be on top of project status in case others ask about it.

5. Design how you will support the staff person so he/she is fully empowered.
To be successful, what supports do you need from me through the process?
I am always available as a resource. How do you want to handle asking me for help?

6. Discuss how the staff person will handle things if the project goes off target or they experience unanticipated challenges. Make sure you are clear on your needs in those situations i.e. agreement about no surprises or request proactive communication.
What will you do if the project is not on target or achieving goals? How will you inform me?

7. At the end of the project assignment close the loop. This is really important for both you and the staff person. Celebrate success and process the learning together.
What worked well?
What could have been different?
What did we learn about delegation?
What should we do differently next time?

I have huge compassion for leaders learning the art of delegation. Having a structured and intentional process for designing delegation agreements is a first and important step to feeling more confident in releasing responsibility and accountability to others. With each success, it becomes easier to delegate and do so successfully.

I hope these tips will help you in your leadership journey. If you have any other delegation tips, please comment so others can benefit from your experience.

Recently I worked with a client who shared that life was great. He is maximizing his strengths, he’s living in alignment with his values, he’s passionate about his work, loves his colleagues and the stimulating work environment he’s blessed to be part of. Yes, he’s working hard and long hours but it’s gratifying on so many levels. So, he pondered why engage in coaching when everything is good. Such a great question.

Let’s bust a myth about coaching. Coaching isn’t just about addressing limitations or challenges. In fact, its way more powerful when focused on developing and amplifying the good in people’s lives, helping them move forward to achieve their greatest purpose in work and life.

Coaching is all about people pausing, reflecting and getting conscious and intentional about goals, direction…heck life in general. It’s also about taking intentions into action and achieving results that create fulfillment. As we all know, life is one big, continuous learning journey. Along the way, it’s essential to pause, reflect, recalibrate and go again. We humans don’t do that enough.

In this case, this is a client that I coached a few years ago. Since then, he’s taken on a new role and added on lots of responsibility. We decided to do some “refreshment coaching”. The first benefit of this type of coaching engagement is to celebrate a life being lived with great intention and according to a well crafted personal plan. Already, by pausing to reflect he’s taking time to appreciate both his own intentional efforts and the many gifts present in his current life circumstance. Just that is an energy boost and a motivation to move forward with even greater intention.

The other focus of our work is to assure that all these good things are sustained. It’s a crazy truth, but sometimes when everything is all good, people go a little soft on themselves and maybe get a bit lazy or unfocused. Therefore, through coaching we are setting some new intentions to maximize current strengths.

The other opportunity we are exploring is to update his bigger life goals. The last few years have presented him with a few unexpected opportunities that have opened his eyes to new possibilities. Instead of just moving towards the “old” vision and goals, he’s updating his vision and creating a new map on how to get there.

So, why is refreshment coaching so powerful?

1. Creates an opportunity to celebrate success and savour efforts
2. Helps sustain what’s working well and assure continued focus on current strengths
3. Provides a perfect time and space to dream bigger and bolder and invest positive energy towards the next stage of professional and personal plan.

As a coach of extraordinary leaders, I can’t tell you how gratifying it is to be invited back into their life to help them celebrate, sustain and dream ever bigger.

If you feel the need for a little refreshment and renewal, call or email. I’ll be there in a second!

Today is an official snow day; the second in a row. As I peer outside, our world has transformed to a fluffy white winter wonderland of over 40 cm of snow. The official institutions of the world – schools, universities, city services – have declared themselves closed. So, our world is slowing down. We are staying close to home. We are having moments of stillness. Not by choice and yet it’s a delectable indulgence. I’ve always loved snow storms as they do seem to mute the world. Everything gets quiet, calm and peaceful.

This sense of quiet and stillness is so needed in the world. A forced day off helps us reconnect with the simplicity of just being. It’s funny how uncomfortable people can be with stillness and quiet or forced solitude. Yet it’s in these experiences that we can create some of the loveliest moments of our lives.

As a coach of high performing leaders, I often encourage them to take at least one day a month where they slow down, go quiet and be still. It’s a hard request for many. However, those that make a commitment to this practice see a renewal of energy, a reconnection to their vision and a boost of creativity and inspiration. So, in future, I’ll remember that for any resisters to this notion of stillness and quiet, I’ll just invoke a snow day and let them discover the pleasures from there.

Snow angels anyone?

A dominant complaint in team dynamics is silo thinking. Leaders want their teams to work collaboratively and call us in to “Bust Silo’s”. However, busting silo’s can feel harsh and aggressive. The desire to break down silos is usually to inspire more collaboration, efficiency, sharing of strengths and talent while achieving the global goals and mission of the organization.

It’s human nature to defend what we care about. If there is any threat to our primary identity, we fight to protect it. So, if a team development session is billed as a “Busting Silo’s” event you can gaurantee that people will show up prepared to defend their territory.

So what is a different way of achieving collaboration other than Busting Silo’s? In our work we refer to it as Building Bridges. First, we need to understand what is important and valued in each role, team or department. What do they take pride in doing? What do they contribute towards the organization’s mission? What do they value?

To create alignment and ease our way into a shared perspective, we need to first build bridges and visit the different perspectives. A willingness to be open to influence is key. A positive intention to be curious and explore is required. An ability to search for common interests is essential. A commitment to listening and appreciation set the tone. Once the bridges are built it’s much easier to navigate the diversity that lives in our organizations and teams, yet find some shared ground from which you can access the bigger picture and shared mission. These are the conditions that support powerful collaborations within teams, across departments and amongst divisions.

In North America, we live in a culture that promotes independence and self confidence. These attributes above all else, are seen as indicators of success. In promoting this, we are marginalizing the voice of “I don’t know”. Instead, people are praised for putting on a brave face that they’ve got everything together…they know the answers. And if they don’t, they will figure it out.

What I am describing above is becoming one of the hot topics for the clients that we coach. These leaders are often feeling they must carry the burden of solutions on their shoulders alone. They believe it is not safe to reveal what they don’t know, nor is it safe to ask for help…or so they think.

Dr. Deborah Sherani identified the following myths related to asking for help.

MYTH: It makes us look vulnerable
MYTH: Holding things in and keeping personal issues under wraps keeps us secure
MYTH: It bothers others
MYTH: Highly successful people never ask for help
MYTH: I am a giver. I don’t like it when others help me

It’s time for a major reframe on how we perceive asking for help. Instead of it being something that minimizes our power, we need to cultivate it as a skill that promotes great teaming, enhanced creativity, and advances productivity. Imagine how liberating it would feel to shake off the shackles of fear by asking for help!

Truth be told, this is one of the most important leadership lessons that I had to learn. That’s why I’m so passionate about developing this skill in our clients. For me, asking for help has become so liberating. I’ve discovered that by asking for help I have become more “real” and more approachable. This has enhanced my friendships, work collaborations, and my marriage. Having crossed the edge myself, I encourage you to try it…just a little bit and see what you discover.

At Horizon Leadership Institute, we are huge advocates of a strengths based approach to leadership. Using StrengthFinder 2.0, an assessment pioneered by the Gallup organization, we help our clients identify their top strengths. The concept is simple – maximize your strengths and learn how to manage your weaknesses. Learning to manage weaknesses is based on appreciating the strengths in others and partnering with them to create powerful outcomes. When everyone works from their strengths, a sense of confidence is built. Through intentional collaborations with people with complementary strengths mutual support and trust is created. This is a powerful stance where asking for help means you are appreciating the strength of yourself and others. Everyone gets to be in their power.

We still need to work with the limiting personal and cultural beliefs that influence our perceptions about asking for help. This can be done at an individual as well as team level. For tips on reframing asking for help, check out Dr. Deborah Serani’s blog –http://drdeborahserani.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-ask-for-help.html

Share your fears of asking for help or stories when it’s been a wildly positive experience. We encourage a diversity of voices as everyone holds a part of the truth.

In order to hold the big picture and vision and stay grounded as a leader, it is vital to intentionally nurture yourself. Here are some tips we use when working with leaders.

1. Create a monthly or weekly practice for connecting with your vision and purpose. Book one day a month or a few hours a week (in a block of time) as a visioning session (I do a silent retreat once a month). For maximum success, schedule this regularly and don’t let anything interfere with it. This practice is great modelling for others too.
RESULT: You’ll be re-energized and renewed in your purpose and will gain clarity on the most important steps to keep moving towards your vision and goals.

2. Create a vision story for your life or business. Make it a five or 10 year horizon. Long enough to stretch you and short enough to feel achievable. Make it concrete with specific milestones. Take a planned time out and regularly chart your progress towards the vision. The key is to CELEBRATE accomplishments along the way, and adjust or change goals as things unfold. Write it, collage it, or create a metaphor of it. Whatever makes it feel real and compelling for you.

RESULT: Clarity of intention and something that you can measure progress towards.

3. Ask for help. Sometimes we don’t have the answers and get stuck in doubt and inaction. (Yes, leaders are human too!) Leadership can be lonely. Find a trusted mentor, colleague or coach and ask them to be a resource as you process both the joys and challenges of leadership.

RESULT: The relief of being able to openly process what you don’t know, explore possibilities, and move forward with confidence.

4. If stuck, change perspective: If you feel mired in confusion or overwhelmed your current situation literally change your position. Imagine climbing up a mountain, literally getting out of the valley of overwhelm. As you climb up, you are releasing yourself of the problems. Imagine standing at the top of the mountain. Put your arms out and turn around. Do a complete 360 degree scan. Keep your head up and look far out to the distance. Now, look down again to the valley that you came from. What’s different now? What does this new angle perspective reveal? What are some different paths you can follow? What’s it like being detached from the challenges and being an observer? Who else can contribute to creating solutions with you? From this perspective, state your intention and go to action with new clarity and energy.

RESULT: A process to help you get unstuck and access new perspectives that supports forward movement.

Because we love to learn, share your tips for leadership renewal and refocusing.

Before reading, please study the “horizon” picture in the top, right corner. What does this image evoke in you? How does it inspire you? Imagine it’s a metaphor for leadership – what’s the message for you?

If you are curious about the story of Horizon Leadership read on.

This is me watching a sunset at Port Franks on Lake Huron. My husband captured this image. It’s one of the best gifts he ever gave me. The business was already named Horizon Leadership, yet this image crystallized what a horizon leader means to me.

Leadership is the ability to see the big picture; to constantly scan the horizon and be aware of conditions around us. It’s also the ability see over the horizon; to anticipate what is coming. Leadership is about being visionary and strategic; seeking and creating clarity. It’s also about being proactive versus reactive.

We are blessed to work with many strategic leaders. And often times we have to remind them to look up and scan the horizon; to step out of the reality of the present and reconnect with the future vision of what they are creating. This requires intention and discipline…and oftentimes support from a trusted mentor or coach.

Leadership also requires us to be grounded and connected to the present. I love that in this image, I’m deeply connected to the physical environment and the magic of what was unfolding in front of me. It’s a metaphor for the deep reflection that is also a core component of leadership. It’s a reminder that leaders need to stop, pause, reflect and re-energize. And too often they don’t.

So, as a leader, how do you keep your eye on the horizon while also staying grounded and connected to the purpose and core of who you are and what you stand for?

See our next blog post “Tips for Horizon Leaders” – holding the big picture and staying connected and grounded in your role.