Leadership Thinking Time

As the end of the year draws near, so does the deadline for year end reports. This means a lot of the usual; reviewing the year gone by, and planning for the next year.

In the midst of this, I find myself quite frustrated when I see leaders not taking the time to stop and think, and think deeply. To stare into the abyss, as some say.

I wonder if I am imposing my own expectations of leadership on others. It may be that to many leaders, it is unrealistic that they should stop what they are doing, and think deeply about what to do next.

Time is a constant struggle for a leader; we all have limited time, but the leader is often measured by what they do with that time - and every follower has a different idea of what they should do with their time.

Some think, for example, that a leader should lead from the front, leading by example. Others think a leader should lead from the back, leading by directives. Still others think a leader should be personable, leading from among the crowd.

Of course, there are different kinds of leaders, and every leader has their own leadership style. It is hard to say that any particular style is unilaterally right (although that has not stopped anyone from doing so).

And that is merely about style! The leader must of course do the work of a leader still, and even this draws disagreement and creates dissent.

Amidst this, the leader must be able to focus on the most important thing first, and then the next second, and then the next, and so on.

So, what is the most important thing a leader can do?

It does depend on some things, but as a principle I think the leader’s first and most fundamental duty is to discern; to observe and understand and form a judgement on the situation at hand.

This is not to say the leader only needs to observe, of course. But of all people the leader must observe the most, or risk leading others blindly.

To this end, the leader must spend time to discern, and this is a matter of both interaction - to discern reality - and imagination - to discern possibility.

This takes time and effort! But a leader who does not spend time on either ends up ineffective, having no grasp on present reality, or no hope for future possibility.

I’ve observed the leaders near me seem to lean toward interaction rather than imagination. And really, I understand their position. There is so much to do, and so little time, and there is pressure from all sides to deliver results, direction, resources, and more. Worse still, often there are few they can fully entrust work to.

But the need for imagination does not go away. Like it or not, the leader decides - whether by active choice or lack of choice - how to use their time. If they will not choose to spend time on both sides of that discernment, it will reflect in their decisions - and the speed of their decisions - and eventually to their legacy.

So I make this exhortation - to myself as much as to any other leader - as we approach the end of the year, spend time to think, to stare into the abyss, to imagine the future possibilities, and therefore to lead more effectively.