Edition 9: Live in a Dot or Connect the Dots?

The Leader's Lift-and-Shift Newsletter is your weekly source of inspiration and tips to create leaders that executives trust, depend on and promote. The newsletter is for the 2/3 of new managers and developing leaders who often feel stuck and/or overwhelmed. It’s also for those high potential employees who want to significantly elevate their leadership skills and learn from other’s mistakes.

Note: Free AUDIO podcasts of each newsletter and toolkit downloads are available at www.gotoleadership.com (if you don't see the latest edition podcast, it will be coming within a day!).

So, let’s start with a Lift, for those leaders who may feel that they are stuck in a narrow silo that limits their ability to grow and add value, and is undermining their personal energy and motivation.  

This is also closely related to the Shift topic below, where leaders make a choice to either live in a dot or connect the dots - expanding their team’s perspectives, networks, ideas and possibilities.

Lift:

You Don’t Have to Live in a Silo!

As a leader, it can feel natural to focus on your own role, your goals, and the handful of people who directly influence your day-to-day work. This “silo” can provide a sense of control and clarity - your responsibilities are clear, and your world feels manageable.

However, over time, this narrow focus can quietly chip away at your growth, creativity, and even your sense of fulfillment. The comfort of the silo can eventually turn into a cage. But you have the power to break out of this cage!

It Starts with Awareness!

When you stay within your silo, you may start to become aware of its many limitations. You may first become aware that you feel isolated - cut off from new ideas, fresh perspectives, and the broader sense of purpose that drew you into leadership in the first place.

You may also notice that your confidence to take on a new challenge is going down, along with your intrinsic motivation and morale. You might even feel stuck, less inspired, and less able to see the bigger picture of your own impact. The good news is that with awareness comes choice!

The Power of Stepping Out!

Choosing to connect dots – goals, people, ideas, functions and value - beyond your silo is an act of personal empowerment. When you seek out conversations with colleagues from different teams, ask questions about the organization’s broader goals, explore synergies, or simply listen to diverse viewpoints, you open yourself up to new learning and inspiration.

These connections spark creativity, renew your energy, and remind you that your leadership journey is part of something bigger. You rediscover your “why” and gain fresh confidence in your ability to make a difference. You also inspire the same for others – as those you reach out to also open their minds to new possibilities for the organization, and for themselves.

You are Empowered to Connect!

You don’t have to ask permission to step out of your silo. You are empowered as a leader to expand your perspectives and possibilities for the good of the company. By connecting the dots, you transform your leadership experience. You become more adaptable, resilient, and capable of adding significantly more value.

On a personal level, your sense of purpose deepens, and your work feels more meaningful. You’re no longer just managing tasks - you’re shaping your own development and unlocking your full potential. The more you connect, the more empowered, energized, capable and fulfilled you become as a leader.

When you step outside your silo, you don’t just see more - you become more! The path to your most empowered, inspired leadership starts with one bold step beyond your silo.

You’ve got this!

Now, let’s talk about a shift.

Shift:

You have the power to make the shift; embrace the 4 roles of Go-To Leadership to become a leader that executives trust, depend on and promote.

Today, we’re exploring a critical leadership choice—one that can directly impact the ability of teams to effectively support company level goals, stay adaptive in rapidly changing environments, and retain, develop and grow their key contributors.  

This leadership choice directly shapes your organization’s ability to Expand Perspectives — defined as the capability to expand the possibilities, paths and potential with those around you. 

The choice? Live in a Dot or Connect the Dots.

Living in a Dot Shrinks Potential!

When teams and organizations operate in silos - focused only on their own projects and immediate networks - their perspective narrows. This limited view can cause teams to miss out on valuable insights, market shifts, and industry innovations.

Without broader context, organizations risk stagnation, duplicated efforts, and a lack of adaptability to change. Possibilities become limited, viable paths to achieve larger goals aren’t considered, and the potential of the organization and individuals become constrained.

Connect Dots Inside and Out!

Leaders who connect dots intentionally reach across teams, departments, and business units, breaking down internal barriers. But they don’t stop there - they also look beyond company boundaries!

They tap into industry best practices, consider the implications of market trends, and actively look for external opportunities to create new sources of value. And by engaging with peers, partners, and thought leaders outside the company, they also bring in fresh ideas and context that spark innovation and agility.

Build a Culture to ‘Find a Way’!

When leaders model this connector mindset, they inspire their teams to seek out diverse viewpoints, ask bigger questions, and understand the “why” behind their work. This can fundamentally alter your organization’s culture – from a heads-down task-oriented operation to a heads-up and eyes-open innovation engine.

Staying curious also builds a stronger sense of purpose and ownership. When people feel ownership of the bigger set of goals and the mandate to optimize across organizational boundaries, they get creative. They ‘find a way’ to make things happen, well beyond what can be prescribed with a pre-defined set of tasks.

Unlock Agility and Impact!

By connecting dots both inside and outside the organization, leaders equip their teams with the broadest possible perspective and the richest context. This collective intelligence enables faster adaptation, smarter decisions, and greater innovation in rapidly changing environments.

Organizations become more resilient, competitive, and ready to seize new opportunities. These more enlightened organizations not only position themselves as leaders in their company, but as leaders in their industry!

Make the go-to Leader’s Choice!

Connect the dots across organizational and company boundaries - unlock your team’s and company’s full potential!

Ignite a ripple effect of curiosity, collaboration, and creativity that elevates the entire organization, transforms challenges into possibilities, and turns uncertainty into strategic advantage. Connect dots that empower your team to think bigger, act bolder, and innovate faster.

Make the ‘Go-To Leader’ choice: Connect the Dots!

Want to Talk?

Contact Steve Glaser, Go-To Leadership Coach

email: gotoleadershipcoach@gmail.com

web: www.gotoleadership.com

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"Unfortunately, few managers know what executives truly need from them, and soon end up in a box they don't know how to get out of.

Unfortunately, very few coaches have actually been an executive and know exactly how to help. That's the gap I fill and unique value I bring."                       

Steve Glaser, Go-To Leadership Coach