Biz Zen: How to clear your head

I'm a firm believer that to really succeed in business you need to be your own person and not be too influenced by the 'herd'. Where it begins is being able to think clearly, take some calculated risks and not follow the thinking of the group. You must be able to innovate and think outside of your immediate surroundings.

The best innovation ideas come when my mind is clear. So I am contemplating taking a break now that winter is over and have decided that I will dedicate the time to trying different things and also getting to experience different ways of thinking by reading a couple of books.

One summer I discovered mountain biking and got out every day while we were away. The benefits of this included a marked improvement in my fitness and an opportunity to see parts of the Bay of Plenty which would otherwise not have been explored by foot. But most of all it was an activity which allowed me to relax (believe it or not) and clear my head.

Let me tell you that when you are careening down a steep slope and whizzing between pine trees there is no room for distraction and your head needs to be totally clear! The reaction of the family to my affinity for action sports remains interesting - the kids regularly ask 'action Dad' to retire from biking because they have determined that more bike time equals less 'iPad' time.

I also recently picked up a fantastic book that I read a couple of summers ago about the most successful basketball coach in NBA (National Basketball Association) history Phil Jackson ('11 rings').

It remains a fascinating insight into leadership and the functioning of high performing teams and how to manage highly competitive and ego driven team players. Re-reading book reinforced a lot which I already knew but also reminded me of some important points about teamwork - the most fascinating of which was the implication that, in spite of having 'mega stars' such as Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal the players who anchored the teams were not the superstars but all-round contributors. All in all, Jackson applied his own brand of leadership and applied approaches unique to him and the needs of his team(s) with astounding success.

Jackson had some unique ideas and noted that idea generation is vital to successful organisations and groups. So I am looking forward to taking time away from the office to reflect and be creative.

Of course, there is the pre-holiday reality to negotiate first. There is always work to do but actually having something to look forward to also energises. And another payoff from truly relaxing will be bringing back to work higher energy levels and the excitement of new ideas. Get ready Paiges bookstore, I will be visiting soon to find the next inspiring book, and, where's my mountain bike!?!

*Balance Consulting is a Whanganui consultancy specialising in business strategy, process excellence and leadership mentoring - contact Russell Bell on 021 2442421 or John Taylor on 027 4995872.