Do YOU Lead your Day, or Does IT Lead You?Reflect for a moment on this quote: “
A LEADER IS ONE WHO KNOWS THE WAY, GOES THE WAY, AND SHOWS THE WAY!" - John C. Maxwell
Now, honestly ask yourself: are you leading or being led once you walk into your job?
Burnout, wipeout, put out, all can happen once you become acclimated in your work culture. I always left my house joyful, excited, and energized with my mug of coffee in hand, smiling and greeting those I met along the way!
THEN I WOULD SEE MY OFFICE DOOR.
I let that define my mood and day depending on how many notes were taped to it or stuffed under the door. The pink colored notes blinded me from a distance, setting panic into my day. Those notes were an accumulation of the call offs from my staff in the multiple departments I led.
WHY? WHY? WHY?
Why should this visual dictate my day? The answer to ending this unsettling panic came unexpectedly on a day when I was chatting with a resident outside my door. He said to me, “you must have a very important job here since everyone likes to leave you messages!” How could I not smile and feel blessed that he saw my situation in such a positive light? That completely changed my mindset and I made a few slight changes, both mentally and physically. I put a fun mailbox up to hold all my messages and to relieve my door of the mess! I changed my routine to drop off my purse and move on to visit with my staff and residents in the kitchen and dining rooms BEFORE I opened my “Pandora’s box,” a.k.a. my mailbox.
I chose to take control of how I started my day. My staff noticed the difference and my happiness spread to create a fun culture from the moment they saw my new mindset. I had been a frustrated and somber leader and was now showing the way by knowing my morning triggers
and how to manage them.
What are your routines? Do they affect your attitude? What is your leadership style, and does it positively drive your culture?
I read an article that listed the five essential qualities of a great leader. I mixed up the hierarchy they listed to best account for the healthcare culture I work in. Here is the list in my order. The article’s original order is listed in the parentheses.
1 (5) Humility
2 (4) Passion
3 (3) Courage
4 (2) Decisiveness-Commit
5 (1) Clarity
Try ranking these by yourself to see what your priorities are and make that your culture! Check out the ACE Las Vegas
Leadership Institute that will take place on Monday, June 15, 2020. This could be a great place to start!
Management is about coping with complexity. Leadership is about coping with change.We do what we do because good food triggers wonderful emotions and we love seeing happy smiling faces in our dining rooms! Staff and those we serve deserve a leader that leads with all the loveliness we bring each day we walk into our jobs!
Make it your day and your way….so, CDM, CFPPs, how do you start your day?
#CDMsMatter