According to Kurt Godel: “You can’t be in a system, while at the same time understanding the system you’re in.”
Many articles, books, blogs, etc. have been written that extoll the benefits of leaders taking time away from the day-to-day responsibilities to “recharge their batteries.” Truly getting away and unplugging!
While I completely agree that it is important that as leaders we find ways to take care of ourselves, having worked with, and known, a lot of type A personalities, I recognize that the ability to completely unplug is hard, if not impossible. I say that with all the love and affection to my fellow type As.
My definition of a “clarity break” is different than being “unplugged” and may be somewhat in alignment with what Godel had in mind.
For me, taking a clarity break means that a leader is taking time to step away from the day-to-day, to not be in the business, but to think about the business. In other words, to take time to brainstorm, open our minds, be creative, think strategically – be a visionary for the business! For me there is no better time to clear my head than when I take my Harley for a ride on a back road on a beautiful, warm, sunny day.
As the leader, a main role we play for our organization is that of a visionary. To be sure we have a clear vision of where the organization needs to be headed, and to be able to clearly communicate this vision to everyone within our organization is essential to creating a culture and environment for success.
Clarity breaks are not just the exclusive rights of the CEO. From my standpoint, for an organization to truly be successful, everyone needs to be able to step away from their to-do list for regularly scheduled (yes, scheduled!) appointments with yourself. Step back, focus on the strategy and vision of your organization and think about how you can deploy your readily available resources to achieve your goals.
So, when was the last time you took a clarity break?
