Recently, I picked up a novel that I completed in 2016 and decided to do another round of edits. I never published it not only because I’m afraid that it’s awful, but also because the marketplace is already crowded with average self-published books. If I want my novel to stand out from the pack, it has to be stronger, and editing is the way to do it.
As a leader, when was the last time you consciously decided to take a critical look at your strengths and gaps and edit your leadership? In the case of my novel, I got feedback from a professional editor and now the heavy lifting, the changes, are up to me. For you, as you work to edit your leadership, you can partner with a coach, mentor, trusted advisor or choose to do it on your own.
The hardest part about editing something that you’re close to on your own, whether it’s your leadership style or debut novel, is you’re attached to it. There are pieces that you love, and would rather not take a critical look, only to learn that you need to make a change.
I get it. If you’re someone who’s happy with “good enough,” keep things as-is. Then again, if you want to be a person who is a role model, in demand, and the best you can be, that requires honesty and a willingness to let go of the old to embrace the new.
Ready to edit your leadership? Here are 25 powerful questions to get you started that I’ve learned from a decade of coaching and putting in the hard work to edit my novel. Editing a novel is about the setting, details, relationships, action, dialogue and telling a story that makes people want to keep reading. The secret to effectively editing your leadership lies in the same areas.
25 Simple (and High Impact) Ways to Edit Your Leadership
One thing I’ve learned from writing and editing a novel is that when it comes time to implement the edits, you can’t focus on everything at once. Also, when you make a change in one area, it creates ripples.
Changing too much all at once creates two complications:
1) If something’s not working, you don’t know which of your changes are a part of the problem and which are a part of the solution.
2) When you make a change, you need to give yourself a moment to live with it and sink into it. If it’s constant editing in the same area, that’s nothing more than tinkering and keeping your fingers crossed.
Find somewhere quiet and grab your journal or just bring your noggin if you don’t process through writing. Ask your ego to go for a walk and get started.
An ideal way to work through the questions is to use a structure to reflect, rate, and brainstorm on positive changes.
Question:
Answer:
Rating: 1-10
Edit:
Setting:
1) Ask yourself, do you criticize others in the middle of meetings or wait to give them feedback privately?
2) Do you say that your door is always open but only for minutes at a time when you’re not running between meetings?
3) When you meet with people on your team, is it always in your office or do you walk around and connect with people on their turf too?
4) When your team gets together offsite, do you go too? Are you invited and decline or hear about it later?
Details:
5) How often do you set the destination but let the people on your team determine the path?
6) When you review someone’s work, is it impossible to resist making major changes because it’s not the way you would have said it?
7) How often do you share step by step directions without being asked for guidance?
8) Do you tell people you’re transparent but keep critical information to yourself?
Dialogue:
9) Do you listen or mostly waiting to respond?
10) Is there more conversation going on in your head than with the person who’s in front of you?
11) It’s called dialogue… are you taking a breath and giving others a chance to share their ideas and perspectives?
12) Do your words build people up or cut them down?
13) How often do you have discussions about performance and career aspirations?
Relationships:
14) Do people come to you for advice and input or do you get the sense that they may be avoiding you? Why?
15) How are you cultivating relationships with people outside of your immediate circle?
16) Do you have a trusted advisor?
17) Are you a mentor or trusted advisor for others?
Action:
18) Are you always the person who gives the briefs or do you let others take center stage?
19) Does every decision need to flow through you or are the people on your team empowered to move the work forward?
20) Do you hold up the action because you have a huge backlog or are others able to step up as leaders too and blast through roadblocks?
Story:
21) Who gets the credit for your team successes? Is it all about you?
22) How often do you invite others to join you in key meetings with senior leadership and how often do you “share what they need to know?”
23) Are you the generator of all of the ideas that move forward?
24) Do you give other’s ideas a chance?
25) Are you caught up in your stories from the past and letting them define your future?
Remember: Not every edit needs to be dramatic. Sometimes the most subtle, vulnerable shifts that create the biggest impact.
If you want to take your edit to the next level, once you reflect on the questions above and identify edits that you need to make, get input. Like an author has beta readers, ask people how they experience you and discover if the way you see yourself is in alignment with the way others see you.
Where do you need to start? How will you edit your leadership?
Wow! Absolutely brilliant, Alli. Maybe it hit me right between the eyes because I am taking a Master Class in writing from Malcolm Gladwell and your model of using writing as a structure for editing leadership hit home big time. As I reflect on years of active leadership, mentoring and being mentored there was and still is nothing as powerful as a continuing process of “editing” in order to improve and get better. Most good writers give credit to their editors for helping them to achieve success. Your outline and questions will go a long way for anyone who wants to improve their leadership craft. Thanks!
Thanks, Gary. My editor saw things in my manuscript that I glossed over or just chose to live with despite the need to change. As a coach and mentor (and when I’ve been coached and mentored) I’ve also had my eyes opened to places to grow and where my strengths were becoming weaknesses and my weaknesses evolving into strengths.
Now I’m totally curious about that course from Malcom Gladwell!
Alli
Excellent post Alli! Love your book analogy. I think it is so hard for many of us to be honest about editing what isn’t working. The line you share that really resonates with me is: “Ask your ego to go for a walk and get started.”
Reevaluating our leadership takes courage and vulnerability. I recently spoke with another leader who had a very different perspective of leading from me. It was hard to hear her advice at first but once I let my ego go for a walk, I learned so much.
Thanks Alli and will share!
Always appreciate learning through your experiences, Terri. Thanks so much for sharing here!
Alli
Great actionable list Alli — for every new leader and every single experienced leader. Your concept of editing is fresh and new. It gives people the “jump in where you can” motivation that will make change happen.
Love the list of Qs!
Kate
Thanks, Kate! A good edit makes everything tighter, more focused and stronger. Thanks so much!
Alli
LOVED, LOVED this post! First of all, congratulations for pulling out that unfinished novel and sending it to an editor. You encourage me! Second, loved all the great tips. As a fellow writer, I’m also a big believer in the power of good editing. The key is “good” because if the editing does not provide a clear direction, it’s simpler to just stay “as is.”
I’ve learned a lot from the editor’s feedback not only about this work but writing in general. Now taking a fresh look at the old manuscript I’m procrastinating on my current manuscript but hopefully, it will pay off for both pieces.
I’m also with you on good editing. We can tweak forever but edits that are focused and meaningful can make all the difference.
Alli
To lead a retreat, I am planning to have a two hour cocktail/dinner for the Board members the night before. I would like to facilitate a discussion — one comment could be “describe an event from your life that had a significant impact on who you are as a person, or that you found to be transformative”, but this has been used two years ago. What would you suggest. Thank you. I found your “Edit Your Leadership” interesting.
My son, John Szulc, is in Fire Management in Portland and has sent your Facebook post.
Annette,
Thanks for reading and your comment too! As for a good question to open the discussion, it depends on your goals. Also, is this a group that has been together for a long time or new to each other?
Some questions that come to mind are:
What book has changed your life? (or you most often recommend and why)
If you weren’t here, where would you want to be?
If your life had taken you on another trajectory, what would that have been?
Who has had the greatest impact on your life?
Again, not sure what you want the outcome to be but I’ve used these as successful springboards for conversation. Hope it’s great!
All the best ~
Alli
Love the question about what book has changed your (my) life and as an extension of that question, what book(s) do I recommend most often and why? After I passed 75, or around there, I picked up a copy of Atul Gawande’s “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End” Great insights into what is euphemistically called the “autumn” of life. We know our time here has a limit and that life can change either suddenly or gradually. My question is how are we prepared to deal with all of that, and more? Just finished Tom Peters’ latest which is “The Excellence Dividend” and reading two others, “My First Summer in the Sierra” by John Muir, published in 1917. I live in the foothills of the Sierra. Another, almost finished by John McPhee, “In Search of a Ship” about the U.S. Merchant Marine. We have also listened to some really good books via Audible during long road trips. “Island at the Center of the Universe” and “The Last Days of Night.” That’s about Edison, Westinghouse, Tesla and Paul Cravath. More in my library if you”re interested.
These are great! Thank you for this! Although, my last week has been sad… I lost my kindle. I love to load it up and read at night in the dark before going to sleep, and on planes, and over lunch and, well, all the time. Looks like I’ll have to buy a new one and now have some great additions to my reading thanks to you!
The book that I usually recommend to people is Leadership and Self-Deception by Arbinger. When I read it, I was electrified by it and spend a year studying with Arbinger as a result. Also, recently, I very much enjoyed Shoe Dog – far more than I expected. It was great.
Thanks, Gary!!