Quality service, quality products, quality control, quality committees.
Focusing on these aspects of quality are all a part of your business because you know how important it is to the bottom line and your company’s reputation. Yet as a business owner or leader, there is an area of quality that is critical to your personal leadership effectiveness.
It’s the quality of your life. Just as your business performs audits for financial, human resource, company values, and systems, you can audit how healthy your life is on all counts — and there’s good reason to do so, according to executive coaches. How you feel and think about your own life , professional and personal, affects how you make decisions, lead your team and plan for the future. The energy you need to be an outstanding leader with a successful business comes from the meaningful and measured quality of your life.
Here are the key components of measuring the quality of your life, which I recommend you do every three months at a minimum. You’ll be able to see where you are out of balance, what you need to live the life you want, and where you are doing just fine.
1. Business & Career: Do you still get excited about new possibilities in your business? Are you feeling that there could be a more satisfying path or that something is missing in your work? Are your people motivated and inspired?
2. Money & Finances: Are you compensated (or compensating yourself) for your true value? Are you feeling secure financially? Are you on top of your investments and have your retirement realistically covered? Are you comfortable with your financial plan and your financial planner?
3. Recreation & Lifestyle: Are you setting aside time for you amidst the demands of your business? Are your friends and family clamoring for more of your time? Are there things you want to do that you have pushed aside because you are completely focused on your company? Do you want to take a trip but keep putting it off? Is there something you always wanted to do? Somewhere you’ve always wanted to live?
4. Spiritual Development: Whatever your beliefs, are you in alignment with them? Do you feel that what you do and who you are represents who you aspire to be?
5. Contribution. Have you considered “giving back” but aren’t sure who, how, where of gift-giving? Does your company or business support local and community activities of worth? Have you been wanting to plan to leave a legacy through your business, or start a foundation?
6. Health & Fitness:. As a business executive, you likely have annual physicals to monitor your health – how are you doing? Do you want to live a healthier lifestyle, make time for exercise, learn how to eat better when traveling? Is there a health challenge you’ve been avoiding?
7. Primary Relationships. One of the top five regrets of the dying is that they did not spend enough time with family and friends, according to a recent study published by the AARP. Do you see any of yourself in that finding? Are you nurturing your relationships so they can grow more meaningful to both parties?
As a professional auditor and human relations specialist, I have added the Quality of Life Audit to my list for business executives because I have found, as have business experts world-wide, that the business is only as successful and balanced as its leader. It’s the quality of life measure that is important, not the quantity of life.
Because business leaders today have become more focused on exploring the options for increasing productivity and growing the bottom line through motivating and inspiring their people, there is less focus on the quality of life of the leader. Yet, you can only grow your business to the extent that you are willing to grow; you can only lead well from a place of well-being. And equally important, you can motivate and inspire your people to care for their own well- being by your example.
Growth, motivation, inspiration and leadership all start with your quality of life.
For more on my complete audit process, that includes quality of life, go to www.lourdesgant.com/freegift/ or contact me at lourdes@lourdesgant.com