Welcome to week 4 of the 21 Day Leadership Challenge. We have designed this to practically support you as leaders to show up as the best version of you.
This 21 Day Challenge encourages your daily reflection, action and growth. It is designed to help you as leaders stay focused, adaptable and effective.
Each challenge will be conveniently delivered to you, via your inbox or social media stream, however you currently read our content, each working day morning throughout the month.
Day 19 – Challenge the Status Quo
A HBR article in 2016 titled “Let Your Workers Rebel” reported results of a survey conducted of more that 2000 employees across industries enquiring about how often they were asked to think outside the box.
The results? 42% said never or almost never, 32% sometimes and 26% said fairly often or very often. Only 3% said always.
Conformity was so prevalent. And I wouldn’t think you would be surprised by these results.
We are not saying conforming isn’t necessary in some instances, but the exercise of thinking outside the box is not even enough today. That’s just the ticket to the game. To win at the game we need to shake things up and bring new and different perspectives to the way we think and lead. This helps us to challenge the status quo.
According to Harvard professor, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, “the advanced leader can move beyond “thinking outside the box” to “thinking outside the building”, implementing transformational change not just within organisations but for society and the world”.
We are not talking about challenging everything that moves.
The art of adaptive leadership is as much about conservation as it is about reinvention. Think about the fact that we share more than 90% of our DNA with chimpanzees! Successful adaptive change will come from the work we lead in identifying what we challenge and lose, what we keep and what we innovate.
None of this is easy work. But it is critical that we look at adaptive work through these three lenses. Don’t, as the saying goes, throw the baby out with the bath water.
Today’s challenge - In building adaptive leadership and adaptive capability in your organisations be curious, observe and be clear on what, in the DNA of your organisation, has made you successful so far and therefore what you need to protect. Bring your empathy and understanding to what needs to be challenged and be left behind as it is no longer serving you or the organisation. And then be clear on where you need to innovate to set up your future success.
When you think about this, conformity plays no role. Even if you are conserving parts of your organisation or DNA, it is because of a deliberate assessment to do so. The building of adaptive muscles to challenge the status quo is as much art as it is science.
Day 20 – Maintain Momentum
With only two days left of this challenge I’m going to keep it short and sweet. This is your opportunity to set some short and medium-term goals to maintain momentum in your leadership. Much of what you may have been doing is with a focus on the longer term so bring your gaze right in today.
This also helps you and the team to celebrate the small wins to keep your people motivated.
And while you are at it, please ensure you have a good operating rhythm with your team meetings, so you are reflecting together regularly, checking in and using this time to celebrate success.
Day 21 – Maintain Momentum
You made it!
Reflect on your journey over the past 21 days.
Your last challenge is to celebrate your growth and set intentions for how you’ll continue to evolve as a leader. What challenges gave you the most learning or inspiration? What habits have you been able to embed in your routines that enable good, regular leadership reflection?
And finally, we would love to hear from you about your progress. Please share your best tip for others that have been following along on the challenge. Remember sharing is caring!
21-Day Leadership Challenge Wrap-Up
Over the last 21 days, you’ve paused, reflected, and stretched yourself as a leader. From building self-awareness and confidence, to practising adaptability, to celebrating small wins - you’ve worked on the daily habits that build sustainable leadership.
Take a moment to reflect:
- What challenge gave you the biggest learning or inspiration?
- Which new habits have you embedded in your routine?
- How will you continue your practice of reflection and growth?
Celebrate your growth
Leadership is rarely about giant leaps - it’s about the small, consistent steps that shape who you are and how you lead. By showing up for yourself each day, you’ve built momentum and proven that real leadership is cultivated through practice.
Share your wisdom
We’d love to hear from you:
What’s the one tip, insight, or reflection you’d pass on to another leader starting this challenge?
Your perspective might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.
Keep the momentum going
The end of the challenge doesn’t mean the end of your growth. Here are a few ways to keep building:
- Revisit your reflections: Keep journaling regularly, even just 10 minutes a day.
- Stay accountable: Share your goals with a colleague or mentor.
- Go deeper: Explore tools like strengths profiling, HBDI® Whole Brain Thinking, or leadership coaching to expand your self-awareness and impact.
- Stay connected: Follow along for more leadership blogs, tools, and upcoming programs.
Real leadership isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present, reflective, and committed to growth.
Thank you for being part of this challenge. You’ve not just completed 21 days - you’ve built the habits that will shape your leadership for the months and years ahead.
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