Liz on Leadership
Welcome to the December edition of Liz on Leadership. And Happy Holidays!

Enjoy what you read here, share with others, and let me know which additional topics would be of value to your and your organization. 

In today's article, you will learn what it takes to hit the ground running in the new year. Paradoxically, it all starts with taking your foot off the accelerator. Just enough. And not forever. But intentionally and strategically, in order to make the best decisions, get the right things done, and rapidly accelerate results in the months and year ahead.
Slow Down to Speed Up in 2017!  

2016 has, in many ways, been a challenging year. It is the year of Brexit. The year of a highly divisive US presidential election. The year of profound unrest and violence across the globe. The year of corporate scandal and scrutiny across an array of industries, from banking to automotive to technology to health care.

This has been a year in which we've moved faster than ever before. But speed does not always lead to progress. In fact, unchecked speed, in the form of rushing to results, failing to ensure quality from end to end, pushing employees to make a choice between caring for customers and earning a decent living, cutting corners where corners must not be cut... well, that kind of speed is a recipe for bad decision-making and serious repercussions.  

So maybe it's time to slow things down. To think before acting. To assess opportunities and threats, and to ensure a truly strategic approach to the future. To identify strengths to be leveraged and gaps to be filled. To set a sound course and round up the support and resources needed to get to the endline without undue or insurmountable pushback. 

In the coming months, you'll hear more from me about slowing down to speed up as I work on my book of the same name: Slow Down to Speed Up: How to Make the Best Decisions and Get the Right Things Done. For now, you can do three things right away to ensure fast (but not haphazardly fast) results in 2017.

1. Set aside time each day, week, month, quarter and year. Protect this time and don't let anyone lay claim to it. This is your strategic reflection time. It should treated as a top priority.

2. Figure out which resources you will need for success in Q1, Q2 and throughout 2017. Don't wait to secure them. Line them up today to accelerate progress tomorrow.

3. Decompress and disconnect during the holiday season. If you've planned a week out of the office, take the week. Don't let yourself get pulled into matters that can wait or be handled by someone else. This is indispensable time. Use it to you clear your mind, take a healthy step away, gain perspective, and reenergize so you can hit it out of the park when you return from the holiday break.

Trust me, this kind of strategic pause is neither self-indulgent nor irresponsible. It is, to the contrary, indispensable for exceptional leadership, organizational success, and rapid progress along your professional path.

To your success...

Liz

About Dr. Liz

Dr. Liz Bywater has been called a one-of-a-kind leadership expert. Working at the intersection of business and psychology, she brings together pragmatic experience, advising top executives across the Fortune 500, with an advanced degree in Psychology and a dynamic personal style to inspire, engage and counsel her clients.

For more than a decade, top global organizations have requested Liz’s help in resolving issues such as creating extraordinary client relationships, increasing market persuasion, and driving productive collaborations in an increasingly complex world.

Liz advises senior leaders at some of the world’s most successful companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Thomson Reuters, Bristol-Myers Squibb, AmerisourceBergen and more. She uses her expertise in human behavior to drive commercial success. She helps her clients propel innovation, exert influence and lead their organizations through change.

A thought leader in organizational excellence, Liz provides expert commentary for such publications as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Fast Company and USA Today. She is a featured guest on such radio broadcasts as CBS Philadelphia's Philadelphia Agenda with Brad Segall and BenFM's Woman of the Week with Marilyn Russell.

Liz earned her PhD in Psychology at the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University. Her undergraduate degree is from Cornell University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Cum Laude. She is a longstanding member of the American Psychological Association and the Society for the Advancement of Consulting. She lives in scenic Bucks County, PA, with her husband and two teenage children. 
Liz Bywater, PhD | Bywater Consulting Group | 215.805.5551 | [email protected] www.bywaterconsultinggroup.com