Leadership A - Z : H is for Habits

Ghandi said,

“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”

Under times of pressure or stress, our ingrained habits, whether good or bad, have a tendency to emerge. Habits are not always ingrained, and new habits can be created in approximately 21 days or consistent actions. Habits can range from spending five minutes at the end of each day to plan, to building in daily activity, taking the stairs rather than the escalator, or building in time to team meetings to talk about successes and lessons learned, or building in time each quarter to review and create plans with your team.

Coaching Questions:

• What are the habits that are supporting you in your work and leadership?
• Which habits are derailing you?  What habits might have the risk of derailing you?
• What would it take to make a change to these not so positive habits? What beliefs underpin them?
• What is more important - to address one of these habits, or to create a new one in a new area?
• What actions, consistently undertaken daily, could form the foundation of a new habit?
• What would it take to have this focus for 21 days? Who do you want to be accountable to?

Have a great start to your week,
Jenn

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPCC
Potentials Realized - Coaching, Training and Facilitation Services
Phone: (416)996-TEAM
Supporting leaders and teams through enhanced skills, better conversations and focused performance
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)

As an author Jennifer Britton is known for her thought leadership in the area of group and team coaching. She is also a former leader and team builder who spent the first 13 years of her career working within the United Nations as well as the international aid sector. From Boardroom to jungle, beach and forest to mountains, Jennifer has worked to develop teams and leaders in more than 18 countries, and virtually many more. She founded Potentials Realized in 2004 and focuses on leadership, teamwork and coaching skills training.