Ahhh … summer, summer, summer! Let’s twist again! Because school’s out and it’s time to soak up the sun and have some hot fun in the summertime.
Whether you’ll be spending your summer in the city with an occasional Saturday in the park or on vacation in Paradise City, Kokomo, or Margaritaville, remember to wear your sunscreen as you go walking on sunshine so you don’t end up looking like a rock lobster.
And don’t let a heat wave give you the summertime blues. You can still have good times in those summer nights. After all, if all else fails, you can always put on your itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini and join the other California gurls and boys of summer for some dancing in the street all summer long … or at least when a summer breeze comes along.
Okay, I’m sure you’ve caught on to what I was doing there. By the way, how many song titles did you catch in these opening paragraphs? And how many of them are on your summer playlist?
I found a list of what the people at Parade have deemed the 80 Best Songs of Summer, and it got me thinking that there are definitely some songs that have made it into our collective memories. Others are more personal favorites.
But we each have a soundtrack of our lives.
So, what’s on your summer playlist?
Let’s be real … I know that summer isn’t all about surf and sand and getting away from it all. Business is still happening. We still have to do our jobs, serve our clients and customers, lead our teams, etc.
If that ever starts to feel heavy this summer, try cranking up the volume on your summer playlist. Music has been proven to be beneficial to your body, mind, and mood.
And, plus, it’s just plain fun to rock out sometimes!
Now, I want to respect your time and attention, so let's get to more of the good stuff ...
SUCCESS TIP OF THE MONTH
As leaders, we have to lead up, down and sideways all while displaying clarity and optimism among our team. It isn’t easy, but that accountability piece is what differentiates you as a great leader.
As a business owner, I am always trying to balance accountability and responsibility. Many have comingled these two words to mean the same thing, but actually they do not.
Moliere, a French playwright and actor, said accountability “is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.” To put this into context, I may not be responsible for the task, but I am held accountable for the result.
As leaders, we have to lead up, down and sideways all while displaying clarity and optimism among our team. It isn’t easy, but that accountability piece is what differentiates you as a great leader. We must ensure that we lead with responsibility, ethically and effectively. And that I feel starts with accountability.
An article I read - “The Buck Stops Here: A Culture of Accountability Drives Effective Leadership” - outlines four strategies to becoming more accountable. You can read the article here , but I wanted to highlight one of the strategies here:
1. Accountable leaders seek input from others – bosses, peers, direct reports, friends and partners – about how something that didn’t go so well could have gone better. Accountable leaders look for ways to do things differently in the future. They seek opportunities to initiate change when the change instigates improved ways of handling situations, making decisions, and developing talent.
I have made it a personal and professional goal in my business to ask my team, how could I do better? I’ll be honest, there have been times I did not “like” their response, but I do understand the power of constructive criticism.
One of the best compliments I have ever received was from an employee who returned working for me after a couple years away. She told me that I wasn’t a bad boss before, but I had become an even better boss. That honestly put tears in my eyes to hear, and it's not something we often get the opportunity to experience with past employees.
Accountability influences the engagement of your team, the trust of your clients, and will ultimately elevate your business success. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!
How can I help?
I hope you've enjoyed this month's newsletter. Let me know how I can help you further. With gratitude and thanks,
Krista Beavers, Guardian Accounting, Inc
