Family First.

I am back! The last quarter of 2017 was a challenge for me, primarily in the area of maintaining my family as the recipient of "first" position in the work/life balance tug-of-war. In fact, I had to put a pause on some projects given my priorities and blogging was one of them. For me, the family is first and is in fact, the foundation that informs my decisions and commitments as a leader. Consequently, I found myself challenged with implementing tactical initiatives within the context of an organizational shift while balancing most importantly the necessary weekly family activities along with the coursework required to complete my doctoral program. As a leader, the reality is that having many items on your work/life plate can be a challenge, especially paired with ongoing additions and subtractions to that plate. Therefore, in the process, it becomes the leader's responsibility to be mindful of ensuring there is a work/life balanced approach simultaneously taking place with each effort. This work/life balanced approach becomes a vital component in helping the leader understand their limitations and plan for success.

So, how can we lead ourselves in establishing the needed stability to ensure the process of building or implementing a vision remains coupled nicely with a work/life balanced approach? This surety begins with an assessment of our capacity, followed by determining our priorities and then establishing the parameters and guidelines for supporting a work/life balanced approach. The English Standard Version of Ephesians 5:15 states, "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise." This biblical passage reminds me to approach planning with caution and wisdom, so that I achieve the desired intended outcome. So, for me, this means it is crucial for my family commitments to land on my calendar early in the planning process. As a result, applying this one approach helps me structure my time around our family schedule. Consequently, I am then able to make adjustments on my calendar to meet the various deliverables across projects within the planned timeline and without losing sight of my top priority, family first.

What are your priorities as a leader?