Q. Hey Mike, how are you?
A. Oh man, I am so busy.
Does this sound like an exchange in which you have participated? I bet your answer is, “Yes.” We have all experienced this Q&A as both the questioner and as the answerer. This is fairly normal.
But allow me to let you in on a dirty little secret: We are all busy. Yep, every one of us. Therefore, most people don’t want to hear how busy you are because they really don’t care how busy you are, especially if you are the leader.
Q. Why don’t people want to hear the leader complain about being busy?
A. Because as the boss, they leader has access to resources, scheduling privileges and delegating opportunities that others don’t. So there is a perception, even if it isn’t reality, that a leader should have more control over her/his “busyness”.
Q. Is this fair to the leader?
A. No.
Q. What should a leader do?
A. (Remember, this blog is written to give you tips to strengthen your leadership.) Take advantage of the resources, scheduling privileges and delegating opportunities at your disposal. Leverage these “assets” to give you greater control over your time and your schedule.
“People are more likely to follow leaders who are calm, in control and unfrazzled – those who appear less busy.”