It’s a new year, it’s a new you. Many of us have some sort of process we go through at the start of the year. For some, it’s a fleeting thought of how they want to do better. For others, it’s writing out goals, or committing to new routines like working out.
I work with my clients to help them visualize the new year and what will be different about performance. I ask them to envision how they want their businesses to evolve, how their teams will lead together to drive key results, and how they will adjust their personal leadership to achieve their goals. The key to this process is setting aside the time to visualize and name the desired outcomes and corresponding shifts required to deliver them.
The secret to this process is being grounded in both your current reality and your future vision. The play between these two concepts is called “creative tension” (credits to Robert Fritz ). Creative tension is the distance between current reality and future vision. The tension creates non-equilibrium, which must be resolved toward equilibrium, either by giving in to the “current state,” which is stasis, or moving closer to the future state. Getting crystal clear about the insufficiency of the current state, and equally clear about what you’re striving for, generates energy to drive towards the future state. If either end of the tension in this equation isn’t grounded enough, the energy will dissipate.
If you’ve read any of my blogs, you know I’m a big believer in ongoing development. Change is at the very center of leadership, and that means constantly figuring out what’s required of your organization, your team, and yourself, and then evolving in that direction.
So, what are you and your team doing to get grounded in a shared view of your reality and your future?