When I first started PT for my Achilles tear, I assumed the big gains would come during my appointments. I quickly learned something I didn’t expect. The difference‑maker wasn’t the actual sessions; it was the micro‑workouts I committed to between them. For the past 12 weeks, I’ve been sharing HIIT protocols for leaders based on that insight, exploring how short bursts between meetings can boost relationships, improve workflow and surface leadership strengths.
Story: My own HIIT protocol
Because I love to watch pro sports, I’ve seen athletes at their peak suffer debilitating injuries. I’ve also chronicled how many returned to their sport stronger because they chose a course of action specifically rooted in effective treatments, physical therapy and showing up to do the hard work of recovery.
When I tore my Achilles tendon last October, I didn’t have a pro team to return to. I did, however, have little ones who rely on me to support and play with them, and I wanted to get back on the pickleball court without fear. So, I diligently followed my orthopedic surgeon’s directions and after six weeks I was released to begin PT. During this 10‑week run of twice‑weekly treatments, exercises and homework, I realized how much of the healing was totally up to me.
The biggest aha? It all added up to the work I did between my PT sessions. Because of the accountability I shared with my PT, the level of strength and improvement was enormous.
I wondered how that might translate to the workplace, with the leaders I coach. Yes, we talk about “action plans” every week toward the end of our sessions. But was there something I could offer that would spark more personal accountability? That’s how I arrived at sharing these HIITs for leaders. I’ve heard from a number of you that focusing on what you did between meetings truly made a difference to how you’re now connecting with your team.
So, after working through a series of intervals, I’m wondering which ones impacted your leadership.
Interval: What HIIT works best for you?
Across the 12 weeks, we’ve explored intervals like:
- Starting with a single question.
- Listen, clarify, summarize.
- Five steps to deliver feedback.
- Decide to confront the issue head on.
- Revisit your language.
- Draft a boundary sentence for your next hurdle.
- Choose one word between meetings.
- Name it and break it down.
I’d like to challenge you to select two or three of these intervals and see how they might change your leadership if you intentionally practiced them between meetings. And, if you’re willing, map them into a simple weekly plan.
If you’d like a bit of structure for that, I’ve created a Leadership HIIT Plan worksheet you can use to choose your intervals for the next 90 days. Just download it, pick your intervals, and decide when you’ll run them between meetings.
Reflection
If I used this plan for the next 90 days, what might be different for me and my team?
In PT, my strength came from the small, consistent exercises I did on my own time; in leadership, your strength will come from the small, consistent choices you make between meetings.
Thank you for partnering with me in this 12-week Leadership HIIT journey.
Over the next few weeks, I’m turning to a topic many of us are facing in real time: how post-traumatic growth (PTG) shows up in our workplaces. I’ll be writing to coaches and leaders about the science behind PTG and practical ways to support teams through layoffs, crises and personal loss at work. If you’re interested in leading people through and beyond these seasons, watch for this new series beginning next week.
