Leading from The Inside Out

The Inside Out Journey

To have a sustainable impact, we have to understand our leadership from the inside out. There are stages in the journey, and each stage requires decisions and commitment to the next step to achieve our ultimate goals.

The 'inner game' is about strengths, derailing behaviours, and blind spots, alongside our motives, values, and preferences. Recognising these makes real advances in our outer game.

The 'outer game' is all about results, relationships, strategy and culture, and how we influence these things through individual behaviours. Being intentional about executing our outer game, ultimately impacts the people we work with and the environment we operate in.

To do this takes clarity. Often, I find leaders have too much on their radar, which means they start to major in minor things and don't focus enough on the vital few things that will yield the desired results.

Getting a different result means changing your actions. Yet, I often find it's more about how you are doing things - not just what you are doing. That's why understanding your inner game is so important. You need to understand what drives you to act as you do. Once this is obvious, you'll have a better chance of making sustainable behaviour changes and, ultimately, leadership changes.

(Source: Inside Out: Why Leadership Starts With You - Deb Bailey)

So let's unpack the journey that will transform leaders from the Inside Out.

Starting the Journey          

The Inside Out journey often starts with uncertainty, frustration, overwhelm, or anxiety.  Or perhaps excitement about what lies ahead.  One thing for sure is that we don't have clarity around where we are going, what we will do, or how to do it, let alone understand the impact this might have on others!  The important point, though, is recognising that something about our leadership has to change.  The journey has begun.

Awareness

The first thing is to understand how you are currently playing your inner game.  A great way to do this is by using well-validated tools that are fit for this purpose and have plenty of research to back up their validity.  Depending on our inner game, this can be challenging to do alone because our inner game includes blind spots, which can go unnoticed by their very nature.  Working with someone skilled in using these tools will give a balanced perspective and help raise your awareness.  Some people are blessed with great self-awareness and can sometimes know enough about their behaviours, the impact they have on others and where the behaviours come from so they can make an assessment of what they might need or want to change.

Acceptance

This is where the rubber hits the road. This is a key decision point. Let me say that again, in case you missed it: THIS IS A KEY DECISION POINT! Do you accept the balanced perspective about your inner game?

If you don't, it might be difficult to create lasting change and you will likely revert to your current ways of doing things. This of course, means you will continue to get the results you have always got.

The thing to remember is that how you have done your leadership up until now won't necessarily be what is required to get you where you want to be in the future. Marshall Goldsmith explores this concept in detail in his book What Got You Here, Won't Get You There.

Acceptance is about being okay with not being perfect and acknowledging that we all have things we can improve.

Clarity

When starting a journey, you want to be clear about where you are heading - otherwise, how on earth will you know when you have arrived? You'll need clarity on your destination and your starting point.

Being clear on what's currently on your radar, and should it be that at all? Getting clear enables informed decisions and priorities.

Focus

Once you have clarity, you can decide what to focus on to achieve your desired results. Often the challenge is around deciding what you are not going to do. Knowing what's on your current radar means you can consciously choose what to ignore.

Action

Nothing happens unless we move from thinking to doing. We have a saying here in NZ, "do the mahi (work), get the treats". The best way to make progress, learn and grow is to default to action.

Be okay with not getting everything right or perfect and see every experience as an opportunity to move further toward your goals and outcomes.

Results

So, you are clear on where you are starting and where you're headed.  By focusing on the priorities and taking consistent action, you'll achieve the results you're after.  Productivity and engagement will increase.  If you are leading people in business or the community, you'll notice an increase in their productivity and engagement also.  When your outer game is informed and supported by your inner game, you are leading congruently.

So, where are you on the leadership journey above?  Do you need to focus on understanding your inner game or is it about gaining more clarity on your outer game?  Perhaps it's about reducing what is currently on your radar so you can truly focus on the activities and work that will make the biggest difference? 

Need some help

If you would like to achieve more clarity and impact with your leadership, we should chat.

Alternatively, grab a copy of my book, it has been specifically written to provide you with a roadmap to create more impact as a leader.

Something to think about . . .

Lead with impact!