5 MIN READ

With busyness picking back up, things to do, and places to be, how can we make leadership development still play a major role in the more spread-thin seasons?

This modern culture tends to encourage a life of busyness rather than growth. Hustling and bustling through our days appear to be normal these days. 

As I added things to my plate and reached what felt like max capacity, I was more inclined to skip weekend phone calls with family and put off my closest friend for a catch-up on FaceTime yet again. I’ve been tempted to just go into work and not spend time interacting and pouring into co-workers because all I wanted to do was get my to-do list done, which would only make me more overwhelmed! 

I’m sure you know the feeling. There’s so much to do, but where do you even start?

RELATED BLOG: https://bestyoucanb.com/anxious-why-that-isnt-a-bad-thing-for-your-leadership/

Well, let’s start with the why, this is basic, but there is some value in it. Picture yourself in the busiest, most spread-thin season of your life, juggling all sorts of commitments, and oftentimes the easiest thing is letting people go. Spending time with people, asking them genuinely how they are, and patiently having conversations to help them feel cared about. That’s an important time to spend, right? We don’t want to let that go! 

Leadership is others-focused and service-oriented, and leading others is very fulfilling!

Most of us logically know that, which is why we are digging into leadership to develop the skills necessary to influence and encourage others for good. 

The last thing we should let get in the way of that important mission is a calendar that’s too full to fit any of the most important things into it.

TO EXPERIENCE AND MAINTAIN A GROWTH TRAJECTORY IN OUR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, HERE ARE A FEW THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

DISCIPLINE

Look beyond the here and now. The discipline to look past the noise in our life right now and focus on our long-term goals is one that will make a huge impact on your ability to continue pouring into others regardless of the season.

Let grace enter the picture to take the load off your shoulders. In this, you’re also able to think about how things might shift and change how some things on your plate might be wrapping up somewhere on the horizon.

PRIORITIZE

Another way we can keep our busy schedules from thwarting our efforts to lead and influence others is by prioritizing our commitments and prioritizing where we spend our time.

Take some paper and pen, write down all your commitments, then ask yourself, “Which ones have to stay? Which ones are fulfilling? What gives me life and lights me up? What are my prized values?” If something on your plate gives you positive answers to all those questions, keep it!

What it looks like in my practice:

When I was in that crumbling season, I reached the point of knowing I needed to let go of some things. I know it has a bad connotation, but it can have a fantastic outcome. 

I had a part-time job helping someone launch, edit, and produce a podcast. I thought it was rewarding, easy, good work, but it took up a good amount of time and I knew I didn’t want to pursue a future in podcast and audio editing. So, I gave my notice and eventually phased out of that and gained my time back.

Another example: When I was deciding what to take off my plate, I knew immediately that there was no way my health and wellness business was budging from my schedule because I LOVE it. I love walking people through to feel at their best. I believe that is a desire, God has woven into my heart and I’m not budging on that one.

If what you’re doing aligns with your values, it’s a good sign that it is going to fulfill something deep within you in the long run.

GET RID OF DISTRACTIONS

Distractions are everywhere. Notifications, beeps, calendar reminders, another person on the screen and your family needs you too.

We can guard our time spent leading and pouring into those around us is by getting rid of distractions. This is where the most discipline comes into play, in order to determine what is and is not a distraction, we need to practice some sort of delayed gratification. 

Oftentimes, this means doing the not-so-fun thing before we can enjoy the fun thing. And for most of us, that isn’t our first pick of how to spend our time. 

If you listened to the last episode with Rebecca bender, she has brilliant advice for how she deals with this. She has a big family, lots of daughters, travels to speak all the time, has a very successful and growing nonprofit, and just moved. So, in the wake of all that craziness, she was slammed, BUT she’s a great leader and she still wanted to make time for the people that needed her leadership and her encouragement, and her effort. In that busy time, she taught herself to respond when someone asked if she was free with, “Yes! What are the next few months like for you?” Or if asking reaching out to someone we can ask, “What are your next couple weeks like? I’d love to get together.”

Listen to this episode about Rebecca Bender:

This way, it gives you a little more buffer to work with when you really might need it. 

PUT PEOPLE FIRST 

Lastly, we can be busy, we can be spread thin, and our worlds are turning upside down and still fit those we care about into our life. You might need to ask for another week before you have the time for that important long-distance friendship catch-up phone call, but you can still do it. You might need to spend extra time working or studying so that you have your Saturday devoted to people you really love and care for. You might make yourself a little late to something to make time to stop and chat with someone on your commute or look like they’re having a rough day.

Whatever it is, putting people first before the to-do list is a tough balance to strike but most of us would agree it’s always gratifying to spend time pouring into others.

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Do you feel like you can also respond to busyness this way? How do you manage your daily hustle and still grow?

Either way, let me know your thoughts down below and I love to start a conversation with you! 

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LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE: