I’m going to keep this month’s nice and brief, highlighting something that really connected with me this past few weeks. The weather may have helped, given I seem to be reflecting in the garden more. It was the concept of ‘7 year cycles’ as described in this Harvard Business Review article. Well worth a read before going further, here it is:
On reading this it made me reflect on not just the present, considering where things may be at, but on the past, and previous cycles. I found this really thought provoking, and useful for the following reasons:
1. Given 7 years is a fair chunk of time it helped me to identify key milestones that marked a significant change, and by doing so helped bring back key learning that I had maybe forgotten.
2. Made my answer to the question ‘what are you most proud of’ that little bit easier to articulate and support my own confidence.
3. Allowed me to understand how I have changed and grown across the years in a way that I had reflected before. It was easier to consider ‘my story’ when thinking in this way
The final, most useful element to this was that it made me consider where things are at right now. The start of this year has had some significant changes happening for me in all aspects of life. It’s fair to say that its tested me. When reflecting on the last time I was tested in this way, surprisingly I had to go back around 7 years. Interesting.
This really helped to frame what could be seen as the end of the current cycle and the beginning of a new one.
That simple reframe, was extremely powerful.
So, to translate this idea into what we typically called ‘Leadership’, it does make me curious as to how, as a leader, these cycles underpin not just who you are but how you choose to lead.
Some questions for you, that I was asking myself on reading the HBR…
What are your cycles when you consider your journey?
What can you learn from previous cycles, about how you have developed as a Leader? Is it all good?
Where are you at in your current cycle, how does this feel, and how curious are you about the next one?
What does all this mean for the type of leader that you are and who you want to be?