The wisdom of inaction
The western working world has a bias toward action. We reward doers, who in turn make their reputations on solving problems and getting things done. (I’m looking at myself here too.) We cheer the action movie hero who rescues the victim, foils the villain, saves the day. Business best practices for email newsletters and social media posts always include a call to action.
And yet, I’ve discovered… it’s often the right thing for a leader NOT to act. Not to say. Not to do. Here’s why.
The mindset shift required for successful leadership
Successful leaders let go of the day-to-day details of performance that served them so well as individual contributors, especially as individual contributors in highly-skilled or specialized roles. Those details are supposed to be someone else’s job now. The leader’s task is to move away from doing and into directing, inspiring and simply being. It’s hard to quantify this, and hard to wrap one’s head around the idea of being judged according to the performance of others. But that’s the work.
Creating space for others to do the doing
Leaders cast a long shadow. If you have found yourself frustrated by the time and effort it would take you to show someone how to do something you’re good at, welcome to leadership. (Also, parenting.) Take the long view here. Your time and attention are literally worth more to your employer than those of the people you’re managing. You’ll free those up in the long run by letting go of the doing -- even if it’s comfortable or familiar or feels good.
Shouldn’t a task or decision -- the responsibility for it, and the autonomy to get it done -- belong as low on the org chart as possible? If so, it’s time to do some work on effective and complete delegation. People don’t grow when their boss is going to do it instead or fix it for them.
Don’t just mix a cocktail and go put your feet up
Relaxing and taking vacation time are exceptionally important for a balanced life and a successful career. Especially so now in pandemic times, when work/life boundaries are blurred and we can’t travel safely, so it’s easy to forget about the need to disconnect and recharge. But that’s not what I’m talking about here. Instead, when you are working, consider doing less so you can focus more on what you actually should be doing. If you have 100 priorities, you have no priorities.
You also do not have limitless time and attention, and many of the folks I’m coaching these days have run into those limits again and again. You can work an extra hour? Get back on the laptop after the kids go to bed? Sure. But what sacrifices are you making to be able to do this? And what happens when you have to throw yourself on the next incoming grenade?
Being a leader is all about balancing limited resources against potentially unlimited demands. Achieving balance requires making choices. Delegate. Defer. Decline.
Sounds great. How does it actually work in the real world?
How do we decide what not to do? That, my friends, is a whole round of coaching sessions. Or, if you prefer, I have a favorite book on the topic. It’s called Essentialism, by Greg McKeown. It’s a book I wish many bosses, many colleagues and the younger me had read during my own career in leadership. You can watch the essentials of Essentialism here:
How will you know it’s working?
At some point, you will stop defaulting to accepting every task, request and meeting that comes your way. You’ll find yourself questioning more. And your staff, having seen you lead by example, will start telling you about meetings you really don’t need to attend and projects that really don’t need your effort or input. They will join you in your quest to safeguard your time and attention for what is most important.
Coaching prompts:
What can I choose to delegate, defer or decline today?
Where is my participation essential?
How can I create space for others to do their best?