The executive team sits around the board table. (The sounds like the set up for a joke, doesn’t it??? It’s not – it’s a common situation.)

So again… The executive team sits around the board table. All agree that the pressure feels unrelenting, and the additional overlay of COVID is pushing everyone to their limit.

With a focus on people and a strong commitment to helping others, David finds he is being constantly drawn into problem solving mode. While working with others to develop solutions gives him a buzz, the longer-term planning is what gets sacrificed.

Liam is highly strategic, and always ready to engage in a conceptual conversation. He is energised by discussions about the organisation’s future and the direction of the sector. Managing the day-to-day issues leaves him feeling flat, and he often misses reporting deadlines, putting pressure on his peers and the company secretary.

Mia jokes that she would love leadership if it weren’t for the people! It’s a joke that’s not far from the truth as she finds the complexity of leading people exhausting, especially through the current challenges of COVID when people seem to be so emotional. Much more comfortable in the numbers and the data, Mia is totally across everything financial.

As the CEO, Charlotte feels the pressure to engage more with external stakeholders, and yet internal challenges keep her attention focused inwards on the organisation.

Let’s face it – there is more to do in every day, week, month than we can possibly do. There is not enough time to do everything. We get to choose what we don’t have time for! 

Yes! You get to choose what you don’t have time for. The things don’t do are not a result of too little time. They are a result of the choices you make and the priorities you allocate, both individually and as a team.

 Next time you blame too little time or too much work, remember that you call the shots. Are you making wise priority calls on your own time? Are you making overt decisions about investment of valuable leadership team time?

Go Fearlessly