Letting Go
Sitting and planning for a new year, I had to make some big decisions about the things I really wanted to focus my attention on and, as a result, the things I needed to let go of.
2020 was a busy and profitable year for us over at Q Squared Ltd. Madeline and I doubled down on our core offerings, helping me to realise that the areas I really need to focus on, not just for this year but going forward for the next few years, have to be leadership development and culture change.
My whole brand hinges on this so, barring the odd side-hustle that may distract me (old habits die hard), that is where my focus is going to be.
One of the tough things about letting go of projects and ventures you have really enjoyed is not only communicating that need to a number of clients you have worked with but also having that tough conversation with yourself to say the line has been drawn.
So let me share some of the things I have let go.
Board Seats
I have removed myself from a number of boards, both for and non-profit, to focus on my own ventures. I have enjoyed being able to serve in a number of different roles but feel the need to stay focused, in terms of time and energy, on just mine for now. Happy to take a fee or equity but not taking on board seats for a bit.
Presentation Skills Training
This has been a big part of my income stream for the last five or so years. From speaking at conferences to running in house workshops, to public workshops and webinars. I still get quite excited exploring the different styles in building content, helping startups to pitch, how to design using slides or tools like Prezi, and how people can present with confidence through video or live streaming (very pertinent in a post-covid world) but it’s time to let go and focus on my core work.
It also means I draw a line under the work I do with pitching for startup competitions, incubators and the like. It’s damn hard to let it go, but I have to.
As an executive coach, presentation skills will still play a part in some of the assignments I have, especially if said senior leader has to give a high stakes presentation, but as a stand-alone product, my Stage Presence and Pitch Perfect programmes are being retired.
School Presentations
I have hung onto this a lot longer than I thought I would. I still get a buzz going into schools to speak to students about being ambitious and also with teachers, as to how they navigate working with challenging students and each other. But barring one or two existing requests, I am parking that too.
I was tempted to record some content online for posterity, but I realised not only did I not have the commitment to do that but if I was honest this would be more about my ego than anything else.
Startups
I mentioned earlier on that I was letting go of presentation skills and a lot of this was done in the startup space. I also gave a lot of my time in mentoring and guiding startups. One of the things I got comfortable with was there were a few good voices in the space and rather than stretching myself thin I could recommend other resources to those in this space. I have poured and continue to pour my energy more into existing companies who are looking to scale, with existing revenue models and moving out of the startup space.
Social Media
This will be the most interesting one. I have been an avid contributor on a number of platforms since 2002. Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Linkedin is my most active. I have managed to steer clear of some of the newer ones like Tik Tok, Snapchat and the new kid on the block, Clubhouse.
I love the frisson of these platforms and Linkedin especially has been a huge source of business for me. Through a number of provocative posts and commentary, I have been able to engage somewhat of a large following/audience and having to hand that responsibility to someone else is a big leap. But building a wider reach is about letting go of some things so you can focus on something else.
Just to be clear, I am not leaving social media, rather I am handing the job of posting content and measuring the impact to a team that will do it on my behalf.
So now that I have shared with you what things I have let go, let us focus on what is being developed with this newfound headspace and time.
Leadership Development
It has been fascinating to work with a number of clients as they explore inclusive leadership. To work with all levels of leadership as they start to explore the impact of better decision making, problem-solving, hiring and working supply chain is challenging but rewarding.
I have doubled down on my signature programme for large companies, BRAVE Leadership, and been thinking more about how I can expand LEADERSHIP DECODED from just a podcast to a community where leadership best practice can be shared.
Culture +
2020 brought a whole shift in the way we work. The pandemic, honest conversations about racial equity and a distributed workforce meant that a lot of organisations have had to think deeply about the cultures they want to build and the changes that need to be in place to make it happen. I have been working with a number of teams on not only how they are managing in the present, but what things need to be put into place even with an uncertain future.
Culture Mapping, Team Dynamics, Communication and Leveraging Employee Resource Groups are some of the areas we are looking at. I am also developing some amazing case studies with clients and looking to ensure there is some real evidence-based research to support the work being done here.
Drinking My Own Medicine
For a while, I have been telling a number of clients to get really focused.
To double down so they could do their best work and not get distracted.
To identify one or two things that they could really make a difference in, instead of trying to stretch themselves too thin.
I realised when I audited my own work and digital estate at the end of the year that I wasn’t doing the same thing I was telling my clients to do. So I had to change it and here we are.
Excited about the focussed journey ahead.
