I wish I was an expert in leadership. If I were, I would not have made some of the mistakes that I’ve made in the past. As a matter of fact, if I were an expert, I could probably retire right now. BUT – since I am not an expert and am still learning how to be a great leader, I’ll continue to grow, develop, learn, do good, make mistakes, learn from them, and keep stepping.
In the meantime, there are some things that I’ve learned about leadership. I clearly understand that there is a constant pressure as a leader to do something, say something, be something, be somewhere, and think something. And while those things are great, sometimes the wisest thing to do in leadership is – Nothing.
That’s not a typo! Sometimes the most advantageous action to take is to do nothing. I have learned over time, that when those that you lead come to you with issues, the best response is no response at all. There are ideas that sometimes require no action at all. There are some meetings that you shouldn’t show up to, some phone calls you shouldn’t make, and some reactions you shouldn’t react to.
It is definitely counter-intuitive for leaders. Most leaders (and many people) are solutions oriented. But if we’re always in solutions-oriented mode and are always responding, sometimes we miss the moments to process, digest, consider, or allow others to get engaged.
Although this isn’t true in every situation, I would challenge you today to consider what situations should you literally do nothing with?