• Confessions of a Stuck Leader

Posted by: kidhelper on Saturday, December 10th, 2011

Leadership: Confessions of A “Stuck” Leader

After forty, plus, years in the ministry experience, I must confess I have been “stuck” many times. “Stuck” for me, is a kind of muddy quagmire experience that I can “wallow in” that basically renders me immobile to forward progress. It comes when I am over committed to big events. I try to recover by being too busy with missed maintenance of my routines. It feels like I am trying to catch up by doing yesterday’s business and not future stuff.

For years, I have unsuccessfully fought, what I call the All or Nothing Syndrome, which means I pour all my energy into something (usually an event) so much so, that I neglect other really important relationships and routines. Then I play catch up, which seems like another big event. This is when I get stuck in awkward time.

One solution, I have found is to work farther ahead, and break the project, event, or task down into more useful or manageable units of daily work. This helps me to not have so much to do at the last minute. This is the hard work of pre-thinking, anticipating, brainstorming, fact-finding, working with the calendar, writing things down, making a “to do” list—the paperwork of planning ahead.

Another solution I have found is to keep moving forward. I must have a transition time—a recovery period. But I must start moving again, not aimlessly, but it needs to be   “a deliberate step,” that recalculates my short-term goals and moves me forward towards my vision. If I have a grand “impossible” vision, knowing how to make “daily progress” is the “art of accomplishment” and the sure way to avoid the Stuck Syndrome. I tend to sink when I tarry too long.

The third thing that helps me get back into the game is to talk about what is happening. If I can tell some trusted person what I am experiencing, it seems to help me get more objective about my experience and see my process better. Just the fact I can share my state of being stuck, somehow can re-orient me, so I can re-calibrate my routines and jump-start a restart. I find in this accountability of sharing motivates me to start moving forward again. I guess it involves the admission that something is not working. I know I can do better than that.

Lastly, Look for the next step Up. Ask yourself what are steps, tasks, persons to call and decisions that can make this happen? It is not about just being busy. It is about doing “daily” intentional and specific tasks, which turns out to be my strategic plan. Make “To Do” lists that challenge you to a higher standard.

Here are four things that might free you up from being a Stuck Leader too:

  1. Work farther ahead! Break the tasks down into smaller parts.
  2. Keep moving forward! Do not work on one thing too long.
  3. Admit your situation! Being open, and accountable with others can help motivate a restart.
  4. Look for the next step Up! Let your “To Do” List challenge you.

We are stuck when we are caught in the All or Nothing Syndrome.

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