As one of my accountant friends used to say, “Look out! All the accountants will be out painting the town beige!”
He was anything but beige, but it was one of his favourite jokes.
This time of year also signals annual reviews, mid-year check-ins and goal setting.
And it got me thinking…
I have sat through more performance reviews than I can remember.
Some as the person being reviewed. Others as the leader conducting them.
We talked about performance. Targets. Strengths. Development areas. Career aspirations. Promotions. Bonuses. Performance Improvement Plans.
They were all important conversations.
But looking back, I find it fascinating that there was one question I don’t remember ever being asked.
“How have you led yourself this year?”
Around this time of year, many people are having annual reviews, mid-year check-ins or thinking about the next six months.
It’s a natural time to pause.
To reflect.
To ask what’s working and what isn’t.
But somewhere along the way, I think we’ve confused performance with achievement.
We ask:
What did I accomplish?
Did I hit my targets?
Did I get the promotion?
Did I grow the business?
Did I take my seat at the table?
They’re all valid questions. But they don’t tell the whole story.
Because success isn’t built by one annual review.
It’s built by the decisions we make every single day.
The conversations we have.
The ones we avoid.
The opportunities we pursue.
The opportunities we talk ourselves out of.
The boundaries we hold.
The ones we compromise.
The risks we take.
And the moments we choose to play it safe.
That’s why, these days, my performance review looks very different.
I ask myself questions like:
- Did my calendar reflect what matters most?
- Where did I make courageous decisions?
- What conversations did I avoid?
- Where did fear make decisions on my behalf?
- Where did I keep waiting for the ‘right time’?
- What did I learn?
- Where was I playing to win?
- Where was I playing not to lose?
- What investment in myself delivered the greatest return?
- What am I still tolerating that no longer belongs in my life?
Those questions don’t measure performance.
They measure leadership.
Not leadership of a team.
Leadership of yourself.
And here’s what I’ve learnt. Reflection isn’t about judging yourself. It’s about leading yourself.
Because you can’t change the first half of the year.
But you can absolutely influence the second.
So before you fill your calendar with new goals…
Before you commit to more projects…
Before you race into the next six months…
Pause.
Give yourself the most important performance review you’ll ever do.
Then ask yourself one final question.
If the next six months reflected the leader I want to become, what would I need to do differently…starting today?