How service oriented are you?

In our busy lives and in our leadership roles in our organizations or businesses, we can be very focused on “to dos,” what is next on the list, and asking ourselves: how much can I get done today, and how can I get some food organized so I can keep going? These are all important for reaching our goals (I have coached some high achievers who thought eating took too much time) for sure.

However, the real key to achieving at a deeper level, and what will feed your soul as a leader and businessperson is to ask: how can I be of service to others today?

I believe we are hardwired to thrive from serving others, but we forget that when we become too focused on our achievements and our goals. We need to take responsibility to activate our natural inclination to flourish in service to others by making the intention each day. We can start now no matter where we are and no matter what we are doing. Whatever is happening in our workday, we can find time (I recommend in the morning as part of setting up our day) to ask: how can I be of service to others today? Who needs my attention/communication from me/support/encouragement/love? Allow the answer to come and size doesn’t matter: maybe it is just sending a text, making a call to connect, making that donation you have been putting off, telling someone they make a difference in your life.

As a leader in our organizations and businesses, we can bring this spirit of service into the very fabric of how we lead.

For me as a solopreneur, I ask myself how can I be of deeper service to my clients, how can I add value and support them fully so that they know their true power and become even more of what they want to be in the world? For people who lead teams or are in a supervisory role, the focus can be switching to being in a supportive role with those you lead, at their side and in the trenches with them. Also, spending one on one time with them to get to know them better is essential. I have had supervisors tell me they don’t have time for regular one-on-ones with their people, but this is where the magic happens. You can think of your role as a kind of union with your people as they want to be able to ask you for authentic guidance and that connection you build enables them to grow and better serve your customers and clients.

Of course, there are lots of ways to serve and they all make a difference for others and us. How we think of service and the role it plays in our life and work evolves and changes in different phases of our life. So here are some questions for contemplation and journaling:

• At this time in my life, how would I most like to have an impact, leave my mark on the world, or be a force for good?
• What is calling to me that I could help improve, expand, or enhance in the world or in my workplace or through my business?
• How would I like to be of service to others? How do I do this in my current work (in the service I provide customers or clients or co-workers for instance) or how could I begin to do more of it?
• If I am retired or do what I consider service primarily outside my career and in the community, how does service fit into my life in a way that brings me joy?