As a leader, I get stuck frequently. Picture the “pinwheel” on your computer screen when you really want to get on with things.
I lead a wide variety of projects in any one week, from writing leadership material, to creating artworks, to preparing talks, and almost out of nowhere I get stuck and want to give up on everything I do. When this happens I reach for my cup.
The most important item in my studio is a small cup that sits on my general desk and has in it a couple of brushes, pens and pencils. They are important to me because when I reach for the cup it helps me get unstuck.
And, I have needed this cup in the past couple of weeks, as I have been weighed down with increasing feelings of “wanting to get things right”. I become paralysed by this feeling. It causes me to work even harder and longer, where I revise and rework the same thing over and over until I realise that weeks have gone by and I have effectively done nothing and everything feels too hard and I want to give up. Breathe Michael. Breathe.
This is where my cup of items helps me. When these feelings overwhelm me, I know to slow down and breathe. Then I pick out a pencil and begin to sketch. This seems simple, but this act does a number of things for me. It helps me be curious about what I am doing, rather than precious and timid. I start to search past all the mess and details that are overwhelming me, and hunt for the simple things that are often right in front of me. Sketching provides clarity to me that helps me get back on track. And, it reminds me to have fun.
When I share this, some people respond with, “you must like wasting time”. I get it. I too feel the need to keep working. It feels like I will get in trouble for doing it. Yet, I have found that this practice is what gets me back on track, and much faster than working harder, which usually buries me.
I have also found that many leaders have their own versions of this. Especially leaders who lead the new. They understand that getting stuck is a part of leadership, and they have ways to help them get past it. Some sketch a basic idea with lego, like the Illustrator Christoph Niemann. Some go to the movies in the mid-afternoon, like the writer Cal Newport. Some go for a decent walk and then work at a cafe at the end. Some purposely have a long cup of tea with a friend or colleague. Some close their eyes and listen to a whole album of music. Some go for a run, although this seems like a last resort for me. And there are many more.
The point is, don’t let getting stuck overwhelm you. Resist the urge to work harder in those moments. Accept that getting stuck is a part of being a leader. Have a way to acknowledge the feeling, and a fun way, that works for you, to help you get past it. I think you will find that you get back on track much faster than working harder.
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