What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There
Many of my clients have moved up in their organizations because they are seen as a person who gets things done and can always be counted on.
They are the go-to person and no matter what is going on, they answer the email or put out the fire. Everyone looks to them for advice, guidance and know they will deliver.
Are those good leadership traits? You bet.
However, they can also be the very things that get in the way of you being strategic, moving the organization forward, and leading your team to perform at a high level . . . not to mention the high likelihood that you will eventually burn out.
As Marshall Goldsmith says . . . “What got you here won’t get you there.”
It’s how you can find yourself buried in the weeds, doing tasks that you know aren’t a good use of your time and trying to be everything for everyone even though it's overwhelming.
When you keep thinking that you should respond to every email quickly, be involved in all the projects, attend all the meetings and remain the go-to person to solve all the problems.
It’s understandable because this is what got you recognized in your previous roles!
BUT this leaves you spread thin, not having enough time for what will actually move the company forward, and feeling a constant pressure to not let anyone down.
You might be waiting for others to step up more and until this happens you feel like you can't let go of doing all the things. Unfortunately, this never seems to happen, does it?
Instead, what happens is your team becomes dependent on you, people expect even more out of you and work piles up. The weeds get thicker, and you feel even more overwhelmed.
Because nothing changes until you change.
Your dedicated work ethic is what got you to the leadership table, but the missing link is that you now need to direct that dedicated effort in a more effective way.
You also give other people the opportunity to grow and shine when you let go of being the go-to person and involved in everything going on.
So, it's time to step out of the weeds and stop DOING all the things, so that you can contribute in a more strategic way and be the true leader you are meant to be.
What can you do to get out of the weeds?
To start, put a hard time boundary in place. Many experts will say that you need to figure out what priorities and tasks to focus on first but when I work with my clients, putting the boundary in place as a first step is what drives out and prioritizes their focus.
With a boundary in place, you will learn real quick how to then be more focused, let go of doing it all and say no more. Because you take away the option of having time for it all!
That’s how I started. I cold turkey decided I would be done work at 5 p.m. (when working 60 hour+ work weeks). At first, I had no clue how I was going to get everything done and guess what? I figured it out. It forced me to let go, say no and delegate. I lead even stronger.
You can do this too. If you want to stand out, be more strategic and empower your team to perform at a higher level, you have to get out of the detailed work because that is not where you will make the difference you can truly make as a leader.
This is also key to creating more balance in your life.
I encourage you today to pick ONE boundary - a rule - with your time to start. And honor that boundary . . . you'll start to make better decisions how you do spend your time.
What Next?
You can sign up for Stacey's masterclass, The Confident "No" here.
Stacey L. Olson is a Leadership and Certified Positive Psychology Coach, has 15 years of corporate experience and has gone through her own transformational change from burning out to balanced in life while performing at a high level (both in her corporate career and own business). She works with professionals who want to work less, live more and be their best even with all the demands, high expectations and messiness of everyday life. Stacey is the founder of The Balanced Leader™ program and offers executive and leadership coaching, workshops, and speaking.
