On a shuttle from the hotel to the airport, my wife and I found ourselves in an interesting conversation with a flight attendant instructor. She told us she instructed both new hires and tenured flight attendants and shared her thoughts on how she coaches them.
It was her goal to find out if their customer service is transitional or transformational?
I thought it was a good self-evaluating question for me to ponder personally and professionally. It made me think about some of my own experiences and it really challenged me to think and ask myself if I’m a transformational manager, leader, father, and friend?
At the end of the day isn’t that what we are called to do? Leaders who really stand out do so because they dare to be different, push themselves to exceptional limits, and challenge their teams to do the same thing.
They lead with a transformational mindset.
2 years ago I made a shift with my own company at Benchmark into management and I’m starting to see that real transformation is something you work towards indefinitely. There are a lot of moving parts, moving targets, time constraints, and sometimes moving expectations that effect change. But, as I evaluate my own leadership journey I feel the opportunities for professional development and growth are more than an opportunity for just shifting, and instead I can bring real positive change.
I want to be transformed into the best leader I can be. I want to help each member in my team transform into leaders and I want our customers to be forever changed by the exceptional customer service we provide.
One thing that is helping me transform as a leader is the encouragement from our executive team. One idea they’ve encouraged is for everyone in the company to work out of inspiration, not desperation.
I think that if we work and live inspired, it opens up a world where we can transform. It opens up the opportunity to transform who we are and grow both personally and professionally. It allows us to work and live in a place of peace.
Here are a few ways I stay inspired:
- Get plenty of rest.
- Take 2 vacations a year.
- Workout 2-3 times per week.
- Read something inspiring every day (like this post). ☺️
- Try to see the positives in everything and everyone.
- Be proactive not reactive because procrastination leads to desperation.
When I’m inspired I:
- Get more done by managing my time more efficiently.
- Communicate with others more clearly.
- Have more energy to relentlessly pursue my goals.
- Think creatively and strategically.
- Pour into others more effortlessly.
- Feel less stress and sleep better.
- Give more and expect less in return.
I know the world isn’t perfect and I’m not pretending that I don’t act out of desperation sometimes. But what I am saying is it’s getting easier to recognize when I feel desperate so I can quickly take the steps necessary to fix the situation and feel inspired again which creates opportunities for change.
This week I encourage you to:
- Pursue inspiration as you lead, live, and work.
- Encourage others around you and inspire them on their leadership journey.
- Don’t transition into anything without the ultimate end goal of transforming.
Thanks for reading! Please like, share, and comment below. Also, check out my first 4 podcasts for more inspiration on how to lead better tomorrow.
Photo by kathyturner1
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