Weekly 1 Hour Time-Outs for Leaders

Check out this advice from the Behavioural Coaching Institute:

"All leaders, especially today, need to develop the discipline to engage in a weekly 1 hour time-out meeting with themselves and a leadership/executive coach.

With leaders dealing with all kinds of internal and external challenges, many consider themselves too time poor to stand back and consider today's serious issues deeply and to honestly appraise their leadership. Yes, leaders find this difficult and many also claim any time spent on such reflection is a luxury that they cannot afford. However, this is a huge mistake if they take this posture. These leaders are failing themselves, their teams and their organizations.

The invaluable 'time out' from their 'game time' should be used with their coach to reflect upon their actions, what they have learned, what they have not been doing, what more they could do and how they can achieve that end."

Carving out an hour each week to reflect, refocus and re-engage is a discipline I know works, from personal experience.  When I take the time for it.  Whether it is with a professional mentor coach, or when I self-coach. What works for me is to use an hour at the end of each week, to reflect on what has worked for the last week, and plan where to focus my efforts for the next week.  With time-outs, I am much more productive and focusing on what really matters.

Coaching Challenge: What "time-out" discipline will help you become a better leader?