Forget Time Management... Focus on Time Leadership

Being busy is a problem. Not necessarily because we can’t seem to get everything done but more because we use it as an excuse. Bob Talbert states it this way, “Have you noticed that even the busiest people are never too busy to take time to tell you how busy they are?” In fact, I think we wear busy as a badge of honor to show others just how important we are.

But this is a dilemma that we have long struggled with in management and leadership circles. How do we best organize our time to reduce our busy schedules into manageable chunks? This is the wrong question to ask. It reinforces the old notion that time controls us… when in fact, we control time. Instead of thinking that you only have 24 hours in a day, realize this is more than enough time to do everything you need to do.

Most of us have developed a successful way of managing our calendars and the associated tasks that accompany it. We plan the details of our day following age-old principles of time management. But as actor Bruce Lee states, “I am learning to understand… I cannot blindly follow the crowd and accept their approach.” Similarly, I suggest we are in an era of leadership versus management; an era that requires us to separate from the crowd and change our approach. It is time to stop thinking about time management and instead focus on three aspects of time leadership: energy, attitude, and reason.

Energy

In leadership, we often think of energy as sustained strength and vitality. It is the ability to get things done even when our to-do list is overflowing. But it is more than simply physical power; it is the mental power necessary for self-motivation. Oprah Winfrey suggests, “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” Management implies control and time management is our effort to exercise power over time. This is the wrong approach. Instead, release your management tendencies, give up control and find the leader within. Discover your passion and let this drive how you accomplish your daily tasks.

Attitude

Our attitude often defines our approach. It is an established way of thinking about us and our roles. But as Lou Holtz once said, “Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” In management, we assume that ability is in the details and our motivation is in accomplishing the task. In time management, this translates into planning and the assessment of how well we do this. But when we focus on time leadership, we exchange details for direction. We look beyond the moment and the task at hand to see the big picture of our vision and we concentrate our efforts on the future.

Reason

We are constantly justifying our actions, especially when things don’t go our way. After all, it is human nature to try and explain our way out of trouble. However, C. S. Lewis states, “An explanation of cause is not a justification by reason.” If we let the events of our lives dictate our daily agenda, we succumb to the management instinct of reaction. It is in our character to focus on the moment. However, leadership is about grace under stress. It is the ability to proactively consider issues and alternatives and plan ahead to avoid managing problems. It is not about avoiding issues, it’s about planning for them.

Time management is coping with the complexities of our lives and falling into the trap that we must get everything done in some arbitrary timeframe. Time leadership, by contrast, is resisting the temptation to follow the crowd and instead seek a new understanding of time – one that affords us ample opportunity to get things done. It is a change in our basic philosophy from one of being too busy to one of seeking opportunity. If you practice time leadership by finding your passion, setting your own direction, and being proactive, you will find that 24 hours is more than enough time to do all you want to do.

What can you get done if you put your mind to it?

The Mentoring Effect

Have you ever had a mentor? Someone you could turn to when you had questions, when you needed advice, or just simply to bounce ideas off of? In short, someone you could rely on to tell you the truth. I have had the pleasure of both having great mentors as well as serving as a mentor for others. I highly recommend both.

As leaders, it is an obligation we have to serve in a mentoring capacity. Leadership is about development, both our own as well as our influence on others. We cannot be content in simply serving in a leadership capacity, we must be willing to put ourselves out there in service to others; we must be willing to take on the responsibility of leadership mentoring.

Below are seven tips for effective leadership mentoring:

Maintain regular contact: It is easy in the busy hustle of life to forget that we have someone relying on us. Mentors should assume they are the givers in this relationship. Consistent contact models dependability and builds trust.

Always be honest: To truly be effective and to be a part of your protégé’s leadership development, you must tell them the truth. Trust and respect are the foundations on which leadership development occurs.

Don’t expect to have all the answers: Despite your level of self-confidence, you are not the perfect leader. Sometimes, you won’t have the answer or know just what to do. That’s okay, sometimes just listening is all people need.

Be willing to share: You are in this relationship to share your knowledge, skills, expertise, and even personal contacts to help your protégé develop new leadership skills and grow as a leader. Don’t be selfish in sharing your successes.

Be clear about expectations: Most effective mentoring relationships start with a clear understanding of the expectations. This can include how often you will meet, the goals of the relationship, and other important details to ensure the relationship is effective and enjoyable for both parties.

Respect confidentiality: Good friends do… and good mentors do as well. Again, trust is the foundation of leadership and you will do more harm than good if you violate this confidence.

Have fun: Leadership is fun and our participating in the development of other leaders should be fun as well. While the professional nature of leadership mentoring is important, find ways to make it personal and fun as well.

A mentor is someone who has knowledge and experience that can be beneficial to the growth and development of others. The mentoring effect occurs when we share our wisdom and know-how in support of the professional growth and development of an emerging leader. In the words of Oliver Goldsmith, "People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy."

For whom are you modeling great leadership? I would love to hear about your mentoring relationships.

Time for a New Approach to Leadership - Part II

Andy Warhol once said, “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” This is especially true in leadership. We cannot afford to wait for times to change and instead have to be the change we want and expect. Leadership is personal and therefore any change we seek must first start with us.

In a recent post, I proposed five fresh ways to think about leadership development. This new dialogue is intended to explore how we think about leadership and the language we use to describe leadership. Again, my attempt is not to abandon what we know to be excellent leadership traits, instead I seek a continuing conversation, an exploration into what leadership can and should be in our current environment. What follows is the continuation of this dialogue.

Passion. Leadership often fosters in us an intense emotion or enthusiasm for the work we do. This is revealed in the passion we have for people, for living and for doing what is right.  Manifest in this passion is empathy and positive thinking; an ability to accomplish the task set before us. Nelson Mandela, someone who understands what is required of passionate leaders,

Stated, “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” There is no substitute for the passion we have for leadership.

Talent. People will follow leaders they believe have the talent to lead them. The talent you posses and the respect others have for it can be a powerful leadership tool. But as John Wooden warned, “Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” As we increase our knowledge base, we too can increase our talent. Experience, opportunity, and a little hard work can create a talented leader… but we must be careful to always remember the leadership is about others, not ourselves.

Heart. Leadership is about fostering relationships and developing others. Heart is what allows us to give great meaning to this work. Heart is leading through emotional intelligence and helps to define who we are as leaders. As Christina Baldwin states, “To work in the world lovingly means that we are defining what we will be for, rather than reacting to what we are against.” Our actions are dictated by the beliefs of our head and our heart. But heart is a necessary leadership skill that is central to everything we do as leaders.

Tempo. In music, tempo is measured in beats per minute. Too often leadership is a label bestowed on those who get things done quickly and efficiently. But a more contemporary concept is the idea of quality outcomes. Our beats per minute are now measured in the energetic quality of our work instead of the speed with which we get it done. Manolo Blahnik offers some unintended advice, “People walk differently in high heels. Your body sways to a different kind of tempo.” For leaders, this means being dynamic and agile while focusing on quality.

Legacy Thinking. Vision has always been an important leadership skill and one that most experts would agree is critical to leadership success. By nature, vision is always thinking about some future state. Legacy thinking moves us beyond vision to considering how our actions impact this future state. Henry R. Luce, founder of the Time-Life Magazine empire, once said that leadership “is a continual dealing with the future; it is a continual calculation, an instinctive exercise in foresight.” The legacy we will leave as a leader begins with our actions today.

Our new look at old leadership is now updated with five additional contemporary ideas. While leadership is certainly more complex than the simple labels applied here, the idea that these skills are observable, and therefore may be modeled by others, is important. There are many more to share over the next several months as this dialogue continues.

I would love to hear how you are thinking about leadership differently.