Become a leader of IMPACT

Impact is all about results. And results start with clearly written, actionable goals that help leaders build alignment and amplify output.

Goal-setting is a critical component of any growth process, personal or professional. There are many benefits of setting goals, including…

Clarity and Focus. Goals motivate us to cut through the weeds and get focused on what’s really important.
Planning. Goals help us map out the necessary steps to achieve our desired result.
Accountability. Goals force us to set and meet deadlines and be accountable to others.
Transparency. When shared, goals help others understand what we’re focused on.
Self-esteem. Goals raise our self-confidence as we see ourselves grow and progress.

achievement, coachingNaphtali HoffDecember 21, 2020Impactful Coaching & Consultingimpact, influence, integrity, leader, leadership, goal settingComment

What Do You Need To Be Productive?

The last component of this first productivity step is to assess what is needed, in terms of materials, systems, knowledge and skills, to get the job done. Perhaps you’re lacking a sufficiently powerful computer system or CRM option. Maybe you need to learn something additional. Whatever it is, position yourself in advance to hit the ground running so that you experience the fewest interruptions and setbacks possible before getting started.

While the range of tech instruments and resources is beyond our scope, it should be obvious that you want to be using the right tools to get things done. Investments in proper technology and information systems will increase productivity while decreasing frustration that comes with doing today’s work with yesterday’s tools.

Become a Leader of Influence

At the heart of great leadership is influence, as in the ability to influence others to do what needs to get done.

In a piece written for Forbes, Kevin Kruse defines leadership as “a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal.” I like his approach because it factors in some important primary leadership elements: (social) influence, others, effort optimization and goals.

Leadership is about influencing others, rather than demanding and coercing. It speaks to the ability to win people over to a new way of thinking and practice, through idea sharing, collaboration and role modeling. It emphasizes persuasion and motivation over coercion.

Influence occurs primarily through emotional connections, such as when we share triumphant or challenging times together. It also develops when leaders routinely demonstrate feelings of appreciation, care, concern, and empathy.

Asserting Parental Authority Without Being Authoritative, Part II

The second necessary component for parental success is influence.

Our job is to become as influential as possible in the minds and lives of our children. Here are three ways parents can become more influential:

Become great listeners and create a safe space for children.
Demonstrate love, not a desire for control.
Personalize relationships and approaches with each child.

Asserting Parental Authority Without Being Authoritative, Part I

Many of us hold a wistful view of parenting.

Back in the “good old days” childrearing was simple. Parents used an authoritative approach, and their kids would listen and comply. By contrast, today’s parents have it much harder, and must deal with a myriad of challenges that our parents never faced.

But that thinking, too, has its flaws. Until the 1960s, authoritarian parenting was the way to go. It started to fall out of favor as society became more democratic and respect for authority began to show signs of cracking.

How (and why) to organize your workspace

Research is clear that we get more done when we know where things are. This is true with our physical things (papers, files, gadgets, etc.) as well as our digital ones. Not only can things be found more easily when they are systematically organized, but there is also a significant psychological benefit of keeping our things in order.

Our external order creates internal sense of orderliness and allows us to do more while handling challenges in stride. It makes us feel in control of our situation and allows us to clearly focus and identify areas that need attention

In contrast, a messy workspace sends a subliminal message that our work lacks importance or that the processes we are involved in are not meaningful. It also increases distractibility and can promote both negative energy and anxiety.

Unleashing the Introverted Leader

The reality is that introversion has little to do with our levels of social comfort or verbosity. Rather, it reflects on our energy source. Extroverts are people who gain their energy from others. They walk into a room and feel energized, feeding off of the collective energy as they navigate through the crowd. They seek other’s company and feel somehow incomplete if they are left in isolation for too long.

Introverts, in contrast, gain their energy from quiet, private time. They love to think and reflect privately, with the door closed, and enter into public settings out of necessity rather than preference. While many introverts can be described as quiet, introverts are more than capable of speaking and engaging as circumstances dictate. It’s more about their preferences and inclinations rather than their disposition or capacity.

leadershipNaphtali HoffNovember 9, 2020Impactful Coaching & Consultingleadership, introverts, social, skills, energyComment

Tips for Choosing the Right Tasks for the Right Time and the Right Person

In a recent post we talked about the importance of identifying the right tasks, or MITs. to work on to maximize your productivity.

MITs (Most Important Tasks) are the tasks that will produce the optimal results and address the most critical issues you face. These are often referred to as “big rocks,” as in the priorities that you first need to place in your “jar” (i.e. complete) before filling other things around it (the metaphorical pebbles, sand and water.)

Naphtali HoffNovember 2, 2020Impactful Coaching & ConsultingComment

Lessons from My School Leadership Mastermind

When I launched my School Leadership Mastermind for school principals and administrators back in June, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It was my first time running a mastermind group of any kind and, while I had participated in and gained from other masterminds, running my own would be a totally different experience. Particularly in the throes of a COVID pandemic that had put school leaders back on their heels for months.

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