The last thing you want as a leader is to have your best days behind you. But it happens all the time, long before a leader steps out of leadership. The questions are how does it happen…and, more importantly, what can you do about it?
Has Your Leadership Peaked?
Sadly, you can’t launch into leadership at age 25 and simply expect to produce your best work, non-stop, for the next half-century. It rarely if ever works that way.
In fact, it’s a very real thing for leaders to run out of fresh strategy, new approaches, innovations and best ideas long before their time in leadership is over.
I have a theory…and it’s only a theory. I call it the theory of the 10-year run.
What does that mean? Well, here’s what I’m noticing, both within myself and around me as I see other leaders.
Most of us have about a decade of optimal leadership in us before we need to reinvent, reimagine or make a significant change.
I know that’s a big claim. And I’m sure there are exceptions. But hear me out, and see if it doesn’t resonate at some level.
I should also say that I believe in sustained, healthy leadership over a lifetime. I’m 100 percent in on that. I have zero plans to retire and I’ve also served the same people for almost 25 years.
But before we figure out how to reinvent yourself as a leader, see if you’ve spotted this pattern too.
EVER NOTICE THIS ABOUT MUSICIANS?
Look at the great musical acts for a minute.
Most artists—even top artists and bands who have been together for decades—seem to have about a 10-year run in which all their hit music is produced.
Here are a few cases from the last five decades:
Simon and Garfunkel’s hit music was composed in less than a decade. When they split and Paul Simon went out on his own, his solo songs hit the charts from 1973 to 1986. Paul Simon is still producing music (he says his most recent is his best), but no one’s really listening to it anymore. Two 10-year runs.
The Doobie Brothers, Boston, Journey, Bon Jovi, New Order, Journey the Cure…roughly 10-year runs.
U2 broke through in 1984, disappeared from the charts after 1991, and came back with big hits from 2001-2004. Just over a decade when you add it up.
Coldplay has been going for 19 years, but their ascendancy into mainstream really happened from 2004 to 2014, with the odd pop up through to 2017. Just over a decade.
Run DMC, Blink 182, Incubus, Smashing Pumpkins, Dave Matthews…all about 10-year runs in terms of music that charted.
Even the Rolling Stones, who have been performing for 55 years now (Oh. My. Gosh.)…well they extended the run to 15 years, from 1965 to about 1981. And since then…nothing really broke through.
