"Leaders who continually upgrade their personal operating model (POM) report being more productive, working more consciously, and driving change more effectively." Ame Gast (McKinsey & Co, McKinsey Themes, 5 January 2025).
In my [Ian's] personal experience, they are also happier: as their ability to inspire and empower others increases, they reap the benefits of better teamwork and greater success.
There are many aspects to effective leadership, some of which are constant (check out my LinkedIn article here: (2) What the Best Leaders do Differently | LinkedIn), but it is also necessary to frequently review your POM for maximum effect.
Your POM is really how you get work done - the priorities you choose, the roles you play, how you spend your time, and how you maintain your energy.
It is particularly helpful to conduct a review at key career and life points, e.g., on promotion to an executive position. Note that it takes a positive intent to do so: the general noise in a busy working life can drown out the subtle warnings that something needs to change. How many managers and executives fall short or suffer burnout because they just kept going despite clear signals that danger was approaching?
Focussing on the 4 components of your POM (priorities, roles, time and energy) will help you perform better as a leader and enjoy doing so.
Priorities.
It is easy to let the urgency and distractions of a busy day lead us to focus our attention on the immediate. However, setting our priorities in line with the work that needs to be done, the highest-impact problems to be solved and the biggest opportunities available will help ensure we are better focussed on what matters most.
To do so, start by thinking about the key stakeholders who can affect, or who are affected by, your work. Check you understand their mandates and their expectations, and consider what additional needs they have beyond the immediate issue.
Then, proactively plan for the most important conversations you need to have to secure support. These could be one-to-ones, executive away days, etc. Link them together to optimise the time and developing message/plan.
Finally, be ruthless in cutting out less important projects and activities. Focussing on a smaller set of priorities will increase impact whilst freeing up time and other resources (and your team will be grateful!).
Roles.
Once clarity around priorities has been gained, the next step is to map the tasks that need to be completed for success, and then decide what to do personally and what to delegate.
A word of caution here: there is a persistent temptation for senior executives to get too involved in the detailed work required. This can be because it is fun (especially if they have a good track record previously doing that kind of work), because they want to be seen to be 'getting stuck in', or because they think it will be quicker to just do it themselves. Whilst such actions have their place, care must be taken not to demotivate the managers who may feel you are encroaching into their areas of responsibility. Also, it is highly likely you will have other, more strategic priorities, on which you should be focussed.
The golden question is: "What role should you play to create the most value for your organisation?"
When delegating, ensure expectations and governance requirements are clearly understood, and that those delegated to have the skill, motivation and resources to succeed. This may require going outside your team for support. If so, act with openness, honesty and reason.
Once the work is delegated, opt for the 'helicopter view' - focus on the higher-level perspective but be ready to get more involved if the situation requires your action.
Time.
Something I ask all my clients to do is to create time for strategic thinking and a healthy work-life balance. These have to be priorities in the diary or they are too easily crowded out. The usual response is 'I haven't got time', but I have yet to encounter anyone whose performance and productivity have not been improved by following this course of action. Incidentally, this also reduces stress levels markedly and saves time due to better decision-making and less hasty action.
Most of us work best in short (45-90 mins) blocks of time. If that is you, plan your day accordingly where you can. Also, think about the times of day you work best and plan to do the most important/difficult tasks in those windows. Plan windows around your most important work, not routine meetings, etc.
A common area for improved time usage is in meetings. Ensuring the right people are there discussing the right topics with the right information in the right amount of time would make a big difference to many companies.
In the McKinsey post noted above, "61% of executives said that at least half of their decision-making time, much of it spent in meetings, was ineffective."
Finally, think about when in-person or online is best, but don't fall into the error of thinking online is always cheapest in terms of time: A more productive, in-person meeting can often yield more exchanges that will save time later on.
Energy.
In a demanding role, it is vital to watch and manage energy levels. Those who have read Patrick Lencioni's excellent book, 'The 6 Types of Working Genius', will have noted how stress and exhaustion can hit the strongest of us when our role does not match our meaning and preferred types of work. Over time, frustration saps our energy and negatively impacts performance (even if we try to 'tough it out'!).
When we link our work with our purpose in life, great energy can be released. Of course, we must all do tasks that we would rather not but if significant elements of it align with our core values, we are naturally more engaged.
Physical exercise, fresh air and a healthy diet can also make a big difference. I [Ian] discovered the importance of this when working as an interim director: faced with a mountain of work, again, I adopted the 'just get it done' attitude as usual, but found it was not enough. With increasing stress and fatigue, I decided one day to leave the office, go for a walk and enjoy a cup of tea. Having done so, I reattacked my work pile - and got through it faster than before and to a higher standard! Over time, I have also come to appreciate the necessity of holidays and return refreshed and keen to get back to work.
Summary.
Developing and periodically reviewing a POM is essential for those who want to maximise their leadership skills and impact. Setting and focussing on the right priorities, positively choosing which roles to play (and which to avoid!), and adhering to effective time and energy management practices, will help ensure not only higher performance, but greater enjoyment.
One final point: whilst it is necessary to be personally driven to maintain a POM, trusted relationships, both personal and professional, can be immensely helpful. Many of us are not as adept at accurate self-analysis as we like to think. Having someone with our best interests at heart to point out our blind spots and hold us to account can be a powerful success factor.
If you want to explore options for your leadership development journey, email Aspire MCL at enquiries@aspiremcl.co.uk, or call on 01522 700465 for a discussion.
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