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Writer's pictureDebbie Baute

Which bricks are you hitting in your leadership development?

Updated: Nov 10, 2023


“I have run into a brick wall. I have reached the limit of what is physically possible for me. Yet, I have just been given more responsibility. Yet, a bigger, more important, international project. And my bosses and colleagues say I will do great. But it does not feel great.


The first part of my career went great, I grew and grew… I took on more and more responsibilities. But lately, it just feels like I am a big failure. I do not manage to stay on top of things. As soon as I tick 5 things off my to do list, 32 things get added.”


In front of me sits a bright young man, full of potential, but only tapping into 30-40% of what he is capable of. What is limiting him?


These were some of the bricks we discovered in his wall:


1)  Stress. Stress kills about everything that makes you flow and generate creative output.


2)  Mental barriers, feeling like a failure, focus on the negative.


3)  Misconception that career growth is about spending more time at work.


Then we started reframing them:


 1)  Focus on your wellbeing and the long term: a career is a marathon, not a sprint. Make sure you build solid routines that keep you happy and healthy for the long term: nutrition, sleep, sports, relaxation/vacation, hobbies, social network, FUN!


 2)  Calibration: when you are in a dark negative spiral, everything starts to look black and sombre… Make sure your view of the world is still objective. Focus on what does work! If you suspect your view is jaded, do find a solid sounding board in a friend, colleague or coach.


 3)  Career growth is not about investing more time at work. Leadership growth is about optimizing your performance AND optimizing your natural leadership style. What served you in the first half of your career does not necessarily serve you during the second. You need a new strategy: learn how to delegate, influence, communicate, serve,... all while staying true to your natural leadership style.


Being able to control your projects or your to do list is an illusion. The world around us evolves at an excruciatingly high pace. Growth is about learning how to move through this complexity and making progress step-by-step, all while staying true to yourself and having fun.


Which bricks are you hitting in your leadership development? What is limiting you to tap into your full potential?

Curious which bricks we could discover in your wall? Or how you could tackle them? Get in touch via coaching@debbiebaute.com!

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