Good Leaders: How are you sustaining your Seven Fs?

Kelsey here one more time… It’s my last blog while Paul’s out on sabbatical! I’ve spent the past month filling in for Paul in various ways – the breakfast, this blog, etc. – and it’s been a treat to stretch my Good Leadership muscles. A foundational element of the Good Leadership message is focused on being aware of how the Seven Fs are moving in and through us. We believe it’s essential to living with less stress and leading with less fear.

Using my Seven Fs Wheel

The Seven Fs Wheel has become a regular part of my life and leadership since partnering with the Good Leadership team three years ago. It’s a tool we use at Good Leadership to measure satisfaction with Faith, Family, Finances, Fitness, Friends, Fun, and Future, and I find it to be one of the most effective ways for me to get a quick check in on how well I’m living out my values. One pass around the wheel helps me to see where I’m thriving and where I might need more work. And, I’m so excited that an online version of the Seven Fs wheel will soon be accessible on the Good Leadership website (no printing need) – Millennials around the world, rejoice!

Focusing on Friends

This February, I re-listened to Richard Leider reflect on the importance of friends – during the recording of our Goodness Pays Leadership Podcast episode, “The Power of Purpose” – and intentionally connecting with those friends – as he ages. He mentioned how he now visits his friends around the world – with great intention – knowing that if he doesn’t visit his community, he’ll no longer have it.

At first I thought, I get it. I know it’s important to keep up your community. But then suddenly it resonated. When I last did my Seven Fs Wheel, I was surprised by the dip I saw in my satisfaction with Friends. I have great friends in my life, but I realized I feel like I’m not doing enough to connect with and invest in them. And like Leider said, if I don’t invest in these people, I won’t have them! I decided to blend a few Fs: I’m focusing on Friends (what I want to strengthen) + Fun (connect with them and traveling to see those who live far from me!) + Future (maintaining these relationships for years to come).

Since then, I’ve reached out to a number of friends for a ten-minute check-in call before bed, even though I might want to go straight to sleep. And, I’ve planned a couple trips to see friends around the country… just for fun! I’ve felt a renewed sense of connection to my community, near and far. That connection gives me the energy to take on tough challenges at work because I know I’m supported in success or failure.

What have you done lately to connect with Friends? To combine elements of the Seven Fs in your life? Take a moment to check in: how is your Seven Fs Wheel doing?