Humans, by nature, are a passionate species, and most of us seek out stimulating experiences. However, many of the leaders I talk with struggle from time-to-time with mustering the passion and enthusiasm they once had. Their leadership mojo has become a no go.
Mojo has become slang for personal power, magnetism and charisma. According to Marshall Goldsmith, “Mojo is the moment when we do something that’s purposeful, powerful, and positive and the rest of the world recognizes it.”
Organizations flourish when their leaders have mojo, and they flounder when their mojo is a no go. It’s a tricky and subtle process; all too often I have seen leaders lose their mojo gradually, drifting off course…
Leadership Drift
All leaders experience drift at some point in their careers, some of it minor and recoverable, some significant and troubling. The greatest danger is failing to recognize it and taking steps to reverse it. Prolonging a short stretch of drift can render it irreversible, leading to career and team failures.
Leaders benefit by applying a dual strategy: addressing the external factors to minimize their impact, and handling their responses to such factors, overcoming the personal issues that can lead to drifting. Most find the second to be much more difficult. You see, drift is primarily an unconscious issue, which often times requires a second set of eyes to recognize.
The good news? Leaders can take specific action to prevent irrevocable consequences. I’ll dive in to this in my next series of blog posts. In the meantime, what do you think? Have you lost your leadership mojo? When was the last time you experienced leadership drift? How did you overcome it? I’d love to hear from you. You can call me at 561-582-6060, let’s talk. And as always, I can be reached here, or on LinkedIn.
