Four Pitfalls of Doing
It can be tough to look in the mirror and face the reality that we may be the cause of our own stress, ineffectiveness, and burnout.
Author Amy Jen Su suggests there are four pitfalls we default to that are at the root of our issues.
1) The ‘I’ll Just Do More’ Pitfall: “As long as we keep working - harder and longer - we’ll be able to add more value and get ahead of others.” Unfortunately, the victories here are short-term. It can lead to burnout, feeling underappreciated, and can create a brand as a ‘worker-bee’, not a thoughtful and efficient leader (because leadership is more than volume and activity).
2) The ‘I’ll Just Do It Now’ Pitfall: You start to “overdose on adrenaline...the thrill of crossing things off the list...believing that as long as you use your speed and ability to push, then all will be well.” The downside is that everything feels like an emergency, losing the ability to decipher between what’s urgent and important. Moreover, ‘fast and immediate’ becomes the culture and standard of work, which can lead to agitation, a climate of high alert, and perfectionism, where no mistakes are allowed.
3) The ‘I’ll Just Do It Myself’ Pitfall: “The false belief that you must do everything by yourself or that you have to rescue others.” This pitfall is often an issue of our ego (avoiding conflict, lack of patience, control, perfectionism, performance orientation, etc.) and not the rationalization of ‘it’ll be better or go faster if I just do it myself’. Doing everything yourself limits opportunities for others to learn and grow and often places you firmly in the middle of the Drama Triangle (hero, victim, villain).
4) The ‘I’ll Just Do It Later’ Pitfall: This pitfall is about “procrastination or putting yourself last...when other things seem more important - yet again.” The lack of solid boundaries (always helping others) or getting sidetracked (something else came up) can negatively impact your credibility as a leader and your ability to individually produce results. Consider completing an audit of your behaviors to identify any ‘doing’ pitfalls in your leadership practice.
There are thousands of sources that are eager to tell you the type of leader you should be; not many encourage you to be the leader you desire to be. Enter author Amy Jen Su, and her thoughtful and engaging book, The Leader You Want to Be, our book read this month. The book is filled with frameworks, tables, models, and acronyms to ensure easy application into our own leadership practices. This book has quickly become one of my most recommended books for leaders at all levels this summer.
Quote for Growth
“As your role or span of control grows, you will eventually be capped by your own capacity, no matter how effective or productive you are.”
Read of the Month
Video of the Week
Avoid Burnout at Work