The best leaders are passionate about living an integrated life. Michael Hyatt calls it the double win – winning at work and succeeding in life at home.
The highest calling of a leader is to live a fully integrated life. True leaders pursue what Michael Hyatt calls the double win - winning at work and at home. Click To TweetLeadership is life and should not be extracted from it. The best leaders are regular people accomplishing extraordinary things and extraordinary people living very ordinary lives at home and in the community.
Leadership is life and should not be extracted from it. The best leaders are regular people accomplishing extraordinary things and extraordinary people living very ordinary lives at home and in the community. Click To TweetToday I am posting a list of 12 ordinary things you can do every day to maintain an integrated life as a leader – spiritually, emotionally, physically, relationally and professionally, I call it the daily dozen.
This list has evolved over the years but the basic idea remains – create a list of things that will help me maintain an integrated life and then monitor progress.
The concept was taken from John Maxwell’s book, Today Matters. If you have your own version of this, let me know, I’d love to learn from you.
1. Rise With my Alarm. This is the heroic moment of the day. Mind over the mattress. No snooze button allowed. Carpe Diem, seize the day! This daily habit strengthens the virtue of fortitude. Fortitude enables one to exercise integrity in the moment of choice throughout the day. The ability to do what one should do not because you feel like it but because it is the right thing to do is as important as anything you can learn as a leader.
The ability to do what you should do but don't want to do because it is the right thing to do is about as important as anything you can learn. Click To Tweet2. Express Affection to Andrea. In relationships, the little things are the big things. A simple hug or kiss on the cheek says, “I love you, you are my best friend, we are in this together and I’m committed to you forever.” Doing this every morning is a consistent reminder that no matter what storm we are facing, I will never leave. Ever.
3. Personal Prayer. After sitting down with a cup of coffee, I enter a time of personal prayer. This is by far the most important part of my day. It begins by asking for the gift of prayer; opening my heart to the Holy Spirit; focusing on the Father’s presence; resting in Jesus’ mercy; bringing my whole self to Him (heart, soul, mind, memory, etc.). I spend time reflecting on scripture, meditation, intercession, worship, thanksgiving and journaling.
4. Spiritual Reading. I try to spend a consistent amount of time each day in a good spiritual book, one that expands my knowledge and understanding of God or the spiritual life. St. Catherine of Sienna said, “Great books are like bait for the soul.” Here is a shortlist of authors from whom I have learned much: John Eldredge, Morgan Snyder, Henri Nouwen, Thomas Dubay, Jacques Philippe, Peter Kreeft, Ralph Martin, George Weigel, and, Bishop Barron.
St. Catherine of Sienna said that great books are like bait for the soul. Click To Tweet5. Podcasts for Leadership Development. I try to listen to a podcast for at least 20-30 minutes every day. It is a great way to learn and grow as a leader. Often I do this during my morning walk or commute. I have 7 leadership podcasts that I subscribe to at the moment. Some of my favourites include: Carey Nieuwhof, Andy Stanley, Wild at Heart, Born for This with Fr Riccardo, Craig Groeschel
6. Exercise. The more leadership responsibility one has, the more important it is to exercise consistently. Three keys to the daily regiment: 1) aerobic activity to increase the heart rate for 20 mins or more; 2) exercises that improve muscular strength especially in the core; and, 3) stretching and flexibility. Exercise is the ultimate multiplier: the more you exercise the better you eat and sleep. The better you eat and sleep, the better you think. The better you think, the better you discern, decide and communicate. And the better you do all that, the better you lead.
The better you eat and sleep, the better you think. The better you think, the better you discern, decide and communicate. And the better you do all that, the better you lead. Click To Tweet7. Affirm the kids. Dad’s have an irreplaceable role of breathing life into the hearts of their kids. I wrote about that here. One special way of doing this is by offering your kids regular words of affirmation. Catch them doing the right thing. Honour them for a good decision. Make heroes of their virtue around the supper table. Write notes for their lunch bags. Send an affirming text if they live away from home. It doesn’t take much effort, but these little deposits go a long way in building their confidence and courage.
8. Say thank you. Expressing appreciation is a sure way of developing a grateful heart. Thank a friend for their presence in your life. Thank your kids for the joy they bring to you. Thank your staff for the extra effort to get the project done. Thank a custodian for doing a great job. Thank your boss for giving you flexibility in defining your job. Once you develop this habit, it gets easier every day. Doesn’t have to be elaborate, but your thank you must always be sincere.
9. Engage in difficult conversations. Yes, this can be done every day and probably should be. Ask yourself, “Am I avoiding a difficult conversation right now?” Avoiding conversations compounds the problem. I wrote a blog about how to master difficult conversations here. It might help.
10. Encourage the hearts of your staff. The less there is of something in the world, the more valuable it becomes. Encouraging words are valuable because many of us live without them. When it comes to believing in themselves, many people are agnostic. I wrote a blog on The Power of Encouraging Words here.
11. Dream. A good friend gave me a challenge a few years ago. He said, “Get a blank piece of paper and write the question, ‘What if?’ in big, bold letters. Then invite God into the process of coming up with the answer.” I can’t tell you how many crazy, wonderful, powerful dreams and ideas have surfaced during those times of reflection. This blog is the result of asking that kind of question and inviting God into it. Remember dreaming is the first and most important part of planning.
12. Examen. The Examen is a technique of prayerfully reflecting on the day and noticing the Holy Spirit’s presence and direction. It was introduced to the world by St. Ignatius of Loyola (Founder of the Jesuits) in his Spiritual Exercises. It might help to journal your thoughts and prayerful senses you have during your daily examen.
There you have it, 12 practices I try to complete every day to live an integrated life. Each habit is a way for me to grow spiritually, emotionally, physically, relationally and in every other way. Your future is shaped by what you to today, not tomorrow. Make today count.