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I often teach leadership and management courses and, inevitably, there are folks in my courses who believe that leadership skills are innate. Either you’ve got what it takes or you don’t to be a leader.

I could not disagree more.

If you break down what it takes to be a good leader and/or manager, it comes down to a collection of tasks and skills that can be cultivated and improved upon over time. Yes, there will be some that will come more easily than others. I also firmly believe that, as leaders, we can build teams to compensate for our areas in need of growth. No one person is going to excel at everything, but by being mindful about creating teams with diversity of skill, thought process, and experience, we can build a team of leaders. 

A colleague recently shared this article with me… The Three Leadership Types in a Nimble Organization.  What stands out to me in this article is the notion that leadership and the opportunity for leadership can and must come from all levels within an organization. 

I couldn’t agree more.

My take away, though, is to take these three archetypes into consideration as I build future teams for every global health team must be nimble and prepared for just about any twist or turn that our changing world throws at them. 

Would you like to bring leadership and management training to your team or organization? If so, please reach out and let’s make it happen! You can read about what I did for the CDC here!

If you are like me, you likely have a lot to accomplish every day and it can often feel like there is not enough time in the day to do it all. 

I often use time-blocking as a time-economizing, concentration-boosting trick. It is a simple technique that helps me stay focused on the task at hand and, as such, check more off of my to-do list. 

My approach:

First things first, the to-do list is a critical element to the success of this technique. I am a big fan of and heavy user of the app-based to-do list called ToDoist.  It allows for items to turn up on your list every day, every month on the 13th or every month on the third Thursday of the month, every-other-day and probably a ton of other customizable options. For me, this was a game changer. I have reminders programmed for weekly tasks like writing this blog, annual tasks like renewing business licenses, and daily activities like exercising. 

The key to time blocking is to have a robust to-do list where you can see like tasks. For example, you would have a block where you’d respond to emails. Another block could be used for any phone calls you need to make or appointments you need to schedule. For me, a big block of time each day always goes to writing. 

Next, consider the best time to do each of the types of work. For me, starting the day out with exercise energizes me and sets the stage for a productive day. I also find that my creative energies are flowing best in the morning and afternoons are a good time for tasks that require less brainpower. 

By combining like tasks, you use less mental energy shifting how you think and what you are seeking to execute. For me, it it ensures I am working according to my priorities and the priorities of my clients. 

What’s your approach?

How do you make the most of your day? 

If you’re like me, it is tremendously challenging to carve out time for so-called “deep work” while at work. Deep work almost seems mythical and elusive to me, at times. In one particularly intense role, I would “save” my challenging work and work that requires deep thinking or problem solving for the weekends when I could have some quiet time. Not ideal at all.

At other times, I do my very best to set myself up for deep work by closing my email and turning off notifications (all those chat notifications!!) on my computer and phone. In particularly busy periods where I’ve had several contracts I was working on simultaneously, I used online tools to block certain websites, mostly websites where I can waste a lot of time, in order to limit my temptation for distraction.  When I can get into that mode, it seems nearly magical. The ability to think. Just think. Seems like a rarely offered gift

In my work as a curriculum designer, I like to think through an exercise and imagine how it would play out in a training setting. I think about how people will move around a room or virtual space. What materials I might want and if the use of those materials would be feasible and not too cumbersome for the facilitator? I do all of that thinking before I even put my fingers on a keyboard to write out instructions that match my vision. 

The evidence is abundantly clear that we are more effective, more productive, and less stressed out if we have the ability to single-task (as opposed to multitask).  How can we make it happen?

Deep work tips:

Mark Twain once wrote that “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.” For me, if I am going to tackle something that requires deep thinking, my motivation, energy, and ability to pay attention are all at their height at the start of my work day.  If at all possible, I try to schedule my intense work for the morning hours.

Luckily, I have control over my schedule, when I take meetings, and the structure of my day.. When I have found myself at the will of others or in particularly meeting-heavy roles, I have found that communicating about what I need to accomplish  and how I will best accomplish is usually well accepted and understood. My coworkers are usually amenable to rescheduling or shuffling the day around.

I know I can forget that I also can say “no” to meetings. It seems nearly radical. Perhaps even more radical in a remote environment.  Instinctually, we want to “prove” that we are at work and doing what we should be doing.  Yet, we have to be careful to not mistake busyness to being productive.

As a manager, I have also tried to give the gift of deep work to my team. In my last role, I blocked off Friday afternoons as quiet time. It was meant to be meeting-free time where we did not expect immediate responses to queries or requests. Plus, we were all working way more than we should have been. This gave my team permission to leave before the official end of the work day if they were able to. 

Tell me about you!

What are your tips for deep work? How do you make it happen in your busy life? Do you work virtually? How do you manage to keep focused when household distractions abound? No judgement, I frequently do dishes and fold laundry while in meetings! Would love to hear from you!