Leadership Allergies: Part 2

Part 2: Time Wasted

Last week we discussed a healthy, though often times underdiscussed, aspect of the leadership journey. It is something called ‘leadership allergies.’ Which can be defined as an adverse reaction to that which is unhelpful to a leader’s development and/or ability to maximize their capacity. The more the leader cares about healthy leadership, the less he or she tolerates anything that detracts from health. 

This week I want to begin identifying various ‘leadership allergies’; and articulate how such behaviors and attitudes are counterproductive to the leader. 

One of the most antagonistic leadership allergies is wasted time. 

I wrote in Sacred Intent: “Time was created to be a succession of moments and events. It can be dispensed but never regained. And the reason for this is simply that God created it that way. And because God created time, he is not contained by time. He has the capacity to exist above time and look down upon it, viewing its beginning, end, and all the comings and goings in between.” Additionally, as C.S. Lewis wrote in ‘Miracles’, “To Him all the physical events and all the human acts are present in an eternal Now.”

Time is created…

Time is granted…

Therefore, time must be used wisely. 

The healthier a leader becomes the more intentional and discerning that leader is with their time. It’s always been helpful to me to think in terms of a story, this is particularly useful when managing time. In other words, time is a resource given so that I might tell a compelling story with my life. With that in mind, think of yourself as the executive producer of your life’s narrative, and ask the following five questions: 

1. What is the centralized theme at the heart of my story?
2. What is the desired storyline? Break your story up into chapters or rather, map it out. It might be helpful to think in terms of roles you will fulfill: sibling, spouse, parent, student, vocation, church member, volunteer, etc.
3. Who are the main characters and supporting cast that you will invite into your story?
4. What other resources do you need to tell your story (money, education, instruments, studio, professional training, a building, etc.)? What is necessary in order to overcome the obstacles to different moments in your storyline?
5. What scene needs to be accomplished today?

A narrative approach to time management could be summarized:

THEME—STORYLINE—CAST—RESOURCES—TODAY’S SCENE

If leaders are allergic to time wasted, then a spirit of intentionality combined with a clear strategy is the remedy. At this very moment you are writing the autobiography of your soul! That is the privilege given to each of us by God’s grace. 

Part 3 coming next week on the blog!