Alan Stein, Jr. is known for his passion for basketball and his work as a performance coach with many of the greatest players and teams of the past 20 years. Today, he applies the principles he learned on the court – and from his time with some of the highest performing athletes in professional sports – by helping organizations create new levels of both individual and team performance.
On a recent Zoom call with Alan (author of Raise Your Game), I heard Alan emphasize the importance of leaders taking the time to learn and grow as individuals first – so that they have the capacity and bandwidth to lead others impactfully. He referred to the idea that you “…can’t pour anything out of an empty cup.”
His point: if you have depleted all your internal resources and energy as an individual and as a leader, how can you expect that you can be a positive influence on those you are leading? If you have nothing left to give, how can you lead?
You may have also heard this idea described in this way: “Impactful leaders serve from the saucer.” That is to say: sustained impactful leadership is possible only when we first create an abundance of personal resources – so much, in fact that these resources actually overflow “…out of the cup and onto the saucer.” And we commit to replenishing those resources.
When we serve from the saucer, our mindset shifts from one of scarcity (and overwhelm) to one of abundance. We feel like there is plenty to give. And it becomes easier to step into the kind of leadership behavior that inspires people, cultivates great relationships and builds high-performing teams.
Alan Stein’s formula for creating a cup that is overflowing is simple:
- Figure out what fills your cup…what allows you to become the best version of yourself.
- Create time and space in your day to do those things or have those experiences.
- Be intentional about creating the habit of filling your cup.
And while this will be different for everyone, this could look something like:
- Inspirational reading in the morning.
- High intensity exercise in the evening.
- Quiet time with a puzzle book before going to sleep.
Whatever it is, it must be something that leaves you refreshed and energized on some level.
How are you approaching your leadership today? Are you leading and serving from the saucer? Or are you trying to lead from an empty cup?
Consider that leading from a “full cup” is actually an option for you…with a little effort and intentionality.
