Being Too Busy to Think
Leadership is often considered to be a 24/7/365 thing. If you’re not officially “on the clock”, you’re thinking about how you can improve, how you can better manage your people, or how to better deal with situations that arise. And although it is an everyday thing, there are often peak periods that require more attention and work than others.
When this happens, average leaders will put their head down and get to work. They will work long hours, skip meals and exercise time, to be able to conquer all the new tasks that have been added to their plate.
Good leaders will look to delegate. They will lean on their staff, and off-load tasks to them, the ones they were hired to complete. The staff will share the workload, and together will complete the laundry list of things to do.
However, great leaders will do neither. Instead of running full steam ahead at the busyness of the schedule, great leaders will take a step back. They will remove themselves from situations, and regain the “birds eye view” perspective they know gives them success.
The thing is, we are all busy. And when we get busy, our main focus shifts to trying to become less busy. We focus on “How fast can we complete these tasks?” When we shift this focus, we no longer think, we just do. We lose the power of thought.
Thought is what makes people successful. It is what allows us to think if what we are doing is the most efficient way to do something. It forces us to challenge the status quo. It forces us outside our comfort zone.
The average leader never has any time to think, because they are trying to do everything on their own, which results in them continuously doing things the way they have always been done. They never adapt.
Good leaders create more time for themselves, but never fully spark the thought of new ideas, as they simply tell their staff how to complete the tasks they need.
Great leaders however, regain time, and their ability to view problems from a new lens. By stepping back, they are able to clear their mind and think. This thinking allows them to find ways to be more effective, efficient, and creative. All things leaders should strive to incorporate.
So the next time you get busy, don’t just put your head down and work. Don’t just look to reduce your list of tasks to anyone you can. Take a step back, think, and watch yourself Get Over the Hump.
Think you know someone who wants to Get Over the Hump?
Want to join the climb?