Five Mistakes Made By Leaders Who Are Too Busy
To be clear, being busy isn’t a bad thing. Busy, according to Merriam Webster, is defined as engaged in action. We certainly want leaders who have the desire to take action to cast vision, grow their team, and help their organization achieve its goals.
Where I find things go wrong is when leaders take on so much that they lose objectivity. Overwhelmed with work, they become stressed, which negatively affects their mood. Ironically, as their effectiveness is reduced by too much activity, many leaders see the solution as to work even harder.
Worried that you might be that type of leader? See if you’re making one (or more) of the following mistakes:
Mistake #1: You aren’t engaging in the meaningful planning of your time.
Your planning consists of making a quick list of tasks to be accomplished to meet deadlines or to respond to urgent requests from your team or others.
Mistake #2: You aren’t setting aside time to think strategically.
When coaching leaders I often find that this is the biggest reason they aren’t delegating work to others. They keep telling themselves, “It’s faster if I do the work myself.” They won’t invest the time to think about who should be doing the work, so they just keep adding it to their own workflow.
Mistake #3: Interactions with your team members are almost always transactional.
The leader has a significant impact on the mood, engagement, and attitude of their team. If your interactions miss the chance to connect on a deeper level with others because you are so busy, you’re fostering a culture that is toxic to growth.
Mistake #4: Your words are more reactive than responsive.
As your mind races with a thousand things to do, you forget to be thoughtful in how you communicate with your team. And that lack of presence can be seen in all forms of communication, not just in your face or voice.
Mistake #5: You rationalize a continued neglect of your personal wellness.
Thinking strategically, being fully present with others, fostering innovation, and similar practices of effective leaders require incredible amounts of energy. When you don’t have it, you default to the low value tasks that might make you feel like you are being productive, but in reality are lessening the opportunities for future success.
If you feel “called out” by this list, don’t beat yourself up. Our culture tends to encourage the practice of busyness… always doing something. The trick is to get better at determining what that something is. Here are some suggestions to help you get back on track:
Make it a practice to ask yourself “Why?” more often.
Being too busy is often the result of a deeper belief or desire. When you recognize that you are engaging in unhealthy behaviors as a leader, challenge your actions by asking yourself why you are choosing them. Is it a desire to be liked? Avoid conflict? The unhealthy expectations of others?
Get feedback.
You’re too close to the situation to see the problem or possible solutions. Talk with your mentor and/or someone you trust and get their perspective on what might need to change.
Talk with your team.
While you may think you are hiding your stress and busyness from them… you aren’t. It’s time to start a discussion about how you would like to serve them more effectively as their leader and what you need from them to do it.
Take a meaningful break.
You need distance from your work to better see the issues. I recommend at least three days away from your work. Get your mind off “task mode.” Once you are in a better mental space, identify 2-3 ways you would like to change your behaviors. Commit to one of them… and find someone to hold you accountable.
Make your planning time a sacred space.
Reviewing the work to be done and how it gets completed MUST become a higher priority for you. If it’s impossible to get it done well during the workday, try doing it first thing in the morning or even on a Sunday afternoon/evening when there are less distractions. And don’t rush through it. Question your assumptions, look long(er) term, and think about how you want to grow yourself and your team through the actions you will take this week.
Get a coach.
I’m not trying to cash in on your stress. Having been a coach for almost six years, however, I’ve seen time and again how getting someone to stop, be reflective, and intentionally address the deeper issues can initiate much healthier behaviors.
“Only do what only you can do.”
As a leader, you aren’t expected to do all the work. It’s your job to figure out how work needs to get done efficiently and effectively, create a meaningful workplace experience for others, and develop a vision for an even more successful future. If you’re too busy to do those things… well, I think you get my point.
