Your life, professionally and personally, will go through seasons. You will inevitably experience a Spring, a Summer, Fall, and those brutal Winters. These seasons are inescapable and how you handle them will ultimately define your leadership, your life, your work/life harmony, and your lifestyle. Since we can’t avoid the seasons… what to do? A leader makes it their mission to acknowledge what season they’re in, accept what season they’re in, and knows what to do while in that season!
Spring
Spring is a season of growth and opportunity! This is the time to plant seeds, brainstorm and implement new ideas, begin new projects, set a new vision and vision factors that align with an agreed definition of “success”. If you’re currently in the season of Spring, professionally or personally… what’s your vision of success moving forward, what new ideas, or new things will you begin; propelling you, your organization, your team, and your life forward?
Take advantage of this season. It may have been thrusted upon you for reasons you dislike; a lay-off, a furlough, a break-up, the list can go on. Either way… here you are in a time of opportunity! Be mindful not to waste it drowning in the quicksand of negativity. Perhaps you enjoy the season of Spring and are eager to take advantage of the season. I encourage all leaders to schedule a Spring Time. This is not something that happens to you… it happens for you! In my book, 7 Ways to Lead, I encourage leaders to schedule “Get My Life Together Saturdays!”. Of course, you can pick your own day… I prefer Saturday Mornings. Set aside an hour, explore your life professionally, personally, and in every role you play (as a person, professional, partner, parent, son/daughter, sibling, etc.). What’s your vision; what do you want it to be like? What’s going great? Are you reaping RESULTS or are you just being BUSY? What must you Stop doing, Start doing, and Continue doing to get to where you want to be? This is how Springtime works and allows you to evolve!
Summer
Summer is my favorite weather season. It’s something about the blue skies, white puffy clouds, long days, and warm night that gets me. Some people like Winter; I’ve spend 40 plus years doing my best to fall in like with Winer… I’m proud to say, I’m doing better!
No matter how you feel about Summer; most people see it as a time for fun, relaxation, vacation, and smiles. Summer is an important season for leaders… it’s a time to relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy! It’s difficult to be the leader you want to be and your team, organization, and family needs you to be when you’re stressed out, bitter, burnt-out, and exhausted most the time. Be sure to make time, take time, and create time to maximize the periods of Summer in your life, professionally and personally.
Within your organization or team, creating a season of Summer may be celebrating achievements, incentivizing time off, or flexible schedules, encouraging time spent with family, and providing ways for leaders and employees to attend family/kid events. There are many ways to provide Summer to you and your people… the better they are; most likely the better they will be for the organization!
Personally, create the season of Summer for those close to you by celebrating their successes, reaching out randomly, and beginning a ritual of fun that not only satisfies your needs, but also benefits others. As a professional speaker, trainer, author, and influencer… also married with four kids, my time and spontaneity are in short supply. However, one time per month I plan a Cigar Day with friends and people I admire. I send out a group text to about 20 gentlemen stating when and where. If all 20 show up, great! If one shows… great! I’m having my definition of fun with people I enjoy and respect, and although I love what I get to do for a living and it’s my ultimate passion, I get to put it down for a bit and get to be Dre for a few hours… not business Andre, or author Andre, or speaker Andre. SUMMER!
Fall
Fall is the time to manage the harvest. This is the time for hard work… the work you wished for and hoped for back in the Spring. I’m not suggesting every season doesn’t have its hard work, but The Fall is the hardest. It’s the grind most people refer to! In this season you will do the day to day processes that make your vision come to fruition… going to work, leading your team, having those tough conversations, making tough decisions, evolving the brainstormed ideas from the Spring.
Professionally, it will look like managing the day-to-day of your job. Personally, it may be the day-to-day of your relationship with your significant other, your kids, family, and/or friends. Either way, it’s how to approach each day and relationship that will enhance your leadership and work/life harmony or destroy it!
First, remember… this is what you asked for! You chose and accepted your job, your partner, having your kids, and your friends. Be mindful not to be miserable towards someone or something that you continuously choose every day. Second, remember to smile, do your best, and be your best! Leaders lead themselves first… and it’s amazing who you’ll attract along the way. Keep in mind, those you attract get invited into your Summer!
Winter
The brutal breeze of winter can chill even the cheeriest of souls. Winter is the time of scarcity; perhaps finances are low, opportunity is low, hard times professionally, hard times personally. Winter comes for us all and will define your leadership. Since you can’t avoid Winter, it’s important to understand it! Here are four “Winter Questions” to ask:
- Why did Winter happen: Why did that terrible thing professionally or personally happen?
- What part did I play, intentionally or unintentionally?
- How can I prevent this from happening again or minimize the impact when it does happen again?
- What plan will I put in place to do daily, consistently, or when needed to be as ready as I can be?
You can’t avoid the Profesional and Personal Seasons we must all go through, however you can acknowledge what season you’re in, accept what season you’re in, and know what to do about it. Enjoy your evolution!
“A leader makes it their mission to acknowledge what season they’re in, accept what season they’re in, and knows what to do while in that season”
– Andre Young
Written By: Andre Young
Take the pain out of your company by enhancing Leadership and Work/Life Harmony in your Company, your Teams, and Employees with Andre Young’s Speaking Engagements and Leadership Training Programs (on-site, online, or virtual)! Download Andre Young’s Free App, YEN Push, allow notifications, and enjoy a professional and personal evolution with his Question of the Week, Thought of the Week, and More! Enjoy your EVOLUTION!!!
