The Downward Spiral of Leadership

By Bob Maksimchuk

You don’t have to ask many people.  Everyone is busy.  But as a leader, you don’t have that as an excuse.   It has been said that managers keep the business running, but leaders move the business forward.  If you don’t think you have the time to move the business forward, the business will stagnate.  Be stagnant for too long and the business will lose ground and be overtaken by its competitors.

As a leader, you must use your time and teams most effectively.  A simple first step is to leverage your team’s capabilities.  You must enable your teams to receive delegated work from you.  And here is where many leaders don’t leverage their teams.  The reason many leaders give: I “don’t have the time”.

That begins the “Downward Spiral of Leadership”.  If you don’t think you have the time you don’t delegate.  If you don’t delegate the team’s abilities don’t improve.  If your teams can’t do the work (or if you think only you can do it better and faster) you jump in.  When you jump in to carry the extra load, you really won’t have the time.  Rinse and repeat.

You’re not a leader because you are busy.

You’re not a leader because you do it all.

You’re not a leader because you believe you do everything better than your team.

You’re not a leader because you have a title.

When you use time effectively – when you develop and equip your team to do more – when you give your team the opportunities to excel – when you serve others, then you are on the path to leadership.  Break the spiral.