Kim Levings

Imagine for a minute that you're standing at the ocean's edge and you watch a massive wave building as it moves water toward the shore. You probably have experienced the mixed emotions watching waves - and sense of excitement, awe, and some fear when you see it build... For leaders, January feels like that. There's a surge of possibility rolling toward you: fresh goals, untapped energy, a calendar not yet cluttered with compromise. It's exhilarating. But if you've led long enough, you also...

Let me guess: You've already started seeing them. The posts, the tools, the methods - all shouting the same thing: New Year, New Goals, New You. And if you're like most leaders I work with, you're feeling... nothing. Or worse, you're feeling that familiar weight of obligation creeping in. Time to set goals that will satisfy the board, or your executive team. The spouse. The coach. The vision statement gathering dust in your drawer since last January. Here's what I've learned after five years...

I couldn't get the ice out of the ice tray, and I cried. It was such a simple thing. A stubborn ice tray after three days of what hadn't even looked that busy on paper—never more than four sessions or meetings scheduled each day. I manage my time well. I protect margin. I know my limits. But this wasn't about time. It was about frequency. Three days of unexpected distractions. Necessary, life be 'lifing' interruptions. Each one legitimate, even important. But the cumulative effect was like...