Work 80% awesome: Inspirational leadership in constant chaos

At the UK’s International Confex’s Keynote Theatre, Day 1, Kelly Frew, inaugural events director, Carnival UK and Claire Eason-Basset, senior lecturer and programme leader, University of Northampton brought their perspectives on inspirational management practices that enable leaders to thrive and deliver high performing teams. For Frew, working at 100% is impossible and unsustainable. Instead, she encourages us to work at “80% awesome”. This way, it is a target, not a standard. “This brings a focus on what we have done, instead of blaming ourselves for things we haven’t done. This gives us the capacity to cope with chaos when it happens”, she said. The 100% myth and ‘scale of awesome’ At 10% you are in the ‘I got dressed’ zone. At 20%-40% you are in the ‘I made dinner’ zone. At 40%-60% you are in the ‘just about holding it together’ zone. At 60%-90% you are in the ‘opportunity zone where we feel achieved, fulfilled and inspired. The moment we go past 90%, we enter burnout, Frew believes. Frew and Eason-Basset also discussed setting boundaries. They stressed it is important to set boundaries, particularly as Covid-19 has blurred the lines between work and home life. Reminding us that it’s okay to say ‘no’. International Confex continues at ExCeL London, 2 September.