How to Get Unstuck in Your Leadership
Here are some words we’re hearing from a variety of clients and leader friends. Do any of them resonate with you?
Overwhelmed.
Jaded.
Paralyzed.
Fed up.
Done.
Tired.
Tapped out.
You know that phrase that seems to rule over nonprofit leaders: “There’s no rest for the weary” meaning you must continue to toil or work regardless of how exhausted you are. Um, yeah. That’s nonsense. You must rest. You must recharge. In fact, I hope you are relaxing right now!
But let’s just say, hypothetically, that you’re not resting. Let’s say that the words above hit you with pretty rigorous nodding. And maybe not just you, but maybe your team, colleagues, partners, and clients are also zapped. You might be waiting for someone to come help. You might relate to the people in this video. Thanks to the amazing Jen Croneberger for introducing this video to me.
>>Before you scroll past the video, yes– this is worth the 90 seconds it’ll take to watch. You’ll probably want to share it with your team, your board, your community partners…
People stuck on an escalator
Whaaat ! ! ! They have a solution right.there. but didn’t tap into it.
How can you avoid the same stuckness?
Of course, you know the answer. It’s: Do something. You need to actually take action. When the house is on fire, you don’t read a book about how to manage it. When the escalator is stuck, you don’t just talk about it. You must take a step. You must, as my friend and mentor says, “Do something you can do something about where you can make a difference.”
What if you’re overwhelmed?
I recognize that even considering action can feel overwhelming. So, let’s break it down using Arthur Ashe’s advice, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Start where you are.
Where can you make a difference? What is your immediate context or setting?
The thing to notice here is that “where you are” is fluid. For me, sometimes that is in my house, cooking dinner for my family and making sure we’re all there to eat together. Other times–like today ;)--I think of my circle of influence as the broad sector of social impact and youth-focused leaders across the country.
Depending on how boss you feel today, your ‘where’ may be bigger or smaller. It’s totally good to start small and then get bigger little by little. I’m a fan of “Think global, Act local” to guide me.
2. Use what you have.
What passion, skills and vision do you hold? What resources can you access?
The thing to notice here is that “what you have” includes physical things like funding, supplies, space, but it also includes talents, interests and skills of yourself, your team, your peers, your network, your community partners.
This is a good opportunity to think about yourself and your team as part of a portfolio of skills and experience, rather than job descriptions and roles. It’s also a good opportunity to recenter on what you do have and start there, rather than focusing on what you don’t have and spinning your wheels to try to get those things.
3. Do what you can.
What are you able to do? What do you have bandwidth to do?
“What you can” is the operative phrase here. Remember that just because you know how, doesn’t mean you have to be the one who does it. Consider what you actually have mental, emotional, physical bandwidth to take on, and do that. It may be small. It may be simple like baking bread each week for your granddaughter. But this is what’s cool about action–small actions spark bigger actions that can burst into momentum. As my friend David Newman says, “Action creates traction. Traction creates momentum. And momentum creates results.”
How do you get started on this path?
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Take Microsteps
A microstep is a small, accomplishable task you can do that will start you on the path to the bigger thing. You’ve done this before. You are totally capable of doing it without a handout. But, if you’re in a state of overwhelm or even “analysis-paralysis”, here’s a very simple tool to help you break down your tasks.
Click on the image of the Microstep Action Plan above and download it as a fillable PDF.
Let’s walk through an example. Imagine you want to change the way your whole community works to solve the problem you solve. That’s big. Enormous, actually. So, what’s one thing YOU could do to get the ball rolling that direction?
Well, one thing you can do where you are, with what you have is:
Convene a meeting of other community service providers who are focused on the same type of client you serve.
OK. Now, how much energy can you put to accomplishing this one big thing? Check in on your energy level and it’ll help you figure out what types of actions you’re up for right now.
Let’s say: Energy is 25%
By when would you like to have this thing done?
For our example, let’s say by December 31. So, you’ve got a little time here.
Now, consider: what are the smaller actions you need to take in order to achieve that bigger thing?
In our example, those may be:
Identify the community agencies serving the same clients.
Choose a date to host a convening.
Email everyone to invite community agency leaders to the discussion.
Look back over your list of actions. What is the first, most manageable, teeny-tiny thing you can do right now toward achieving one action?
In our case, let’s say your microstep becomes:
Write a list of community agencies serving the same clients we serve.
💥 Do-able, right?
Incredibly do-able. You can write a list. You can take a tiny step that starts you back on the path to getting the big things done.
You do not want to be standing around like the people on the escalator waiting for someone else to fix it. You have the capacity to make one small step to get yourself unstuck. You can do it.
