Beingaleader means resisting the pull to be busy. Ask someone how they’re doing and the answer is often, “Busy.” It has become a badge of honor. Our calendars are full, our phones are buzzing, and our to-do lists never end. But being busy isn’t the same as being productive, and it isn’t the same as being effective.
Leaders are especially susceptible. There’s always another email, another meeting, another problem, and another person who needs our attention. Before long, our days fill with activity, and we can’t say what any of it accomplished. We can check off a dozen things and still wonder at the end of the day what we really did. Activity is not progress.
Part of leading is learning what deserves our attention. Not everything urgent is important, and not everything that demands our time deserves it. That means stopping, thinking, prioritizing, and sometimes saying no. It’s hard, because slowing down can feel like we aren’t working hard enough. But sometimes the most productive thing a leader can do is nothing, at least for a few minutes. Step away. Think. Look at the bigger picture. Make sure you’re working on what matters instead of simply working through whatever comes your way.
“I’m too busy” can also become a convenient excuse. Too busy to develop someone. Too busy for the hard conversation. Too busy to think strategically or invest in the people we lead. Yet those are often the very things that make us better leaders. If we’re always too busy to lead, what exactly are we busy doing?
Beingaleader means resisting the pull to be busy. Be intentional. Be productive. Be present. And at the end of the day, don’t ask, “Was I busy?” Ask, “Did I accomplish what mattered?”
