Page 232 - HBR Leader's Handbook: Make an Impact, Inspire Your Organization, and Get to the Next Level

Leading Yourself 221

of learning? Do you have explicit learning goals for the next year or two or
three—and a plan to get there?
■ Working with a coach. Do you have an executive coach or mentor who can
help you develop yourself over time? If so, are you getting the candid and
sometimes challenging inputs that you need? If you don’t have access to a
coach, can your friends or colleagues help you overcome your blind spots?

■ Sharing yourself. Are you mentoring or coaching others inside or outside
your organization? Spending time building other leaders? What are you
learning from helping others grow?
■ Contributing beyond. In what ways are you contributing beyond just your
immediate job or the boundaries of your current organization? Can you
broaden your horizons and get exposure to new ways of thinking by volun-
teering or engaging in civic ventures?

■ Taking care of yourself. How are you balancing your commitments to work
with whatever else you want to do in terms of family, friends, and activi-
ties? Are you being explicit about the trade-offs, or are they just happening
over time?
■ Energy and well-being. What are you doing to take care of yourself phys-
ically and emotionally as you progress in your career? Do you have ways of
renewing your energy periodically after intense periods of work?

■ Measuring your life and finding balance. What are your personal metrics of

success—not just for this week, month, quarter, or year—but for your life
and your career? How can you keep these metrics in perspective as you
continue to advance as a leader? What can you do to find greater balance
and even integrate different arenas where you spend your time or would
like to spend more time?