The Gift of Time

I have been spending quite a bit of time recently talking with leaders in various organizations. My information quest seeks to identify what leaders need most from their organizations. Here's what I've learned:

1. Universally, leaders want to be great - not just good, but great.  Not one person has stated or even implied, "Don't bother with support; I'm quite happy being mediocre." Most leaders do see themselves as good leaders, each believing that he or she gives the best effort each day. A desire to improve, a willingness to learn and a commitment to the team is consistently evident among the cross-section of leaders I've encountered.




Leaders are consistently asking
 for more time to be leaders


2. Every leader has more to do.  Job responsibilities have expanded horizontally or vertically, and sometimes in both directions. This is true even in the few organizations that avoided layoffs during the Great Recession. Companies that were in survival mode are transitioning to growth mode and all are hesitant to add staff. Doing more with less is the norm; leaders are directing larger numbers of staff and in some cases, supporting the team by performing staff-level work when necessary.
3. Leaders have a hard time saying "no."  Staff members need help. Bosses need help. Leaders, with a desire to do their best, rarely say no. Instead, they stretch themselves thinner and thinner, in an attempt to satisfy all.
4. The little things go first. As leaders work to juggle priorities and manage time, some activities fall from the list. Out of necessity, leaders resort to doing less of what they perceive will have least impact if undone. The list often includes informal chats with staff, brief check-ins on project teams, self-development and time for personal reflection.

These recurring themes are escalating into a crescendo from leaders to their organizations. "If you truly want to help us be good leaders," they say, "Give us more time."

Good leaders need time so that they can develop the skills needed for a breakthrough to greatness. Great leaders rely on time as a critical strategic element in their toolkit.  Yet, even these great leaders are asking organizations to review the pace of change, assess projects, and reorder priorities so that they can get back to basics. Basics include face-to-face communication with staff, personalized interactions and caring dialogue. Back to basics is all about allocating time to laugh, enjoy each other, and function as a cohesive team.
The senior leaders of the very best organizations are taking notice.  They are listening and evaluating, determining how best to balance the very real need to maintain constant forward momentum with a renewed focus on the human element.

In the meantime, leaders can benefit from reading and reflecting upon two great articles: 

1. Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time, by Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy, published in the Harvard Business Review, October, 2007.
2. No Work-Life Balance? It's Your Fault, by Rachel Emma Silverman, published in The Wall Street Journal blogs on April 7, 2011.