This Is When “Doing The Work” Isn’t The Answer
The Subtle Shift You Need To Make To Create The Space To Grow
My team and I are navigating some course corrections right now.
We’re examining where we’re at and where we want to be for 2019. The fun part is that we’ve gotten so much right and have so much clarity. The not-so-fun part is that doesn’t exempt us from doing some hard work over the next few months.
It’s at these times that it’s oh-so-tempting to put my head down and nobly “do the work.”
I am always ready to dive right in — especially if that means shutting everyone else out.
But that’s not what my team needs from me.
They need a leader.
The mindset shift from doer to leader is one that I cover in my new book, Subtle.
It’s not enough to go from “being the business” to “owning the business.” You have to transition from automatically responding to problems or needs with “doing” and start responding with “leading.”
It’s not just a question of delegation or getting help fulfilling the mission of the business. It’s a fundamental reworking of what’s required of you as the leader of your business.
My conversation with Kate Strathmann, the founder of Wanderwell, a bookkeeping and consulting firm based in Philadelphia, helped me see this shift in a new way.
She told me:
“I could happily sit in a room and think, write, and do the work and not talk to anyone for 3 days. And I wouldn’t really notice!
But that’s not really helpful for a team. There were times I realized I was doing that and not available enough.”
This is absolutely my default mode as a “doer” in my business, too. Not only am I ready to get my hands dirty in service of a new idea or project, but I’m prone to blocking out the rest of my team so that I can. I justify it by telling myself I’m saving them from having to deal with learning something new or doing messy work.
But the truth is that I’m retreating to my comfort zone.
Whether you’re a team of 1, 10, or 100, your business needs you to lead — not simply to do the work.
That means leaving space to focus on not just what needs to get done but where your business is actually heading. It means taking the time to gather information and talk to people who matter (colleagues, team members, customers). It means coming up to breath on a regular basis.
If you’re making changes, if you’re up to a big project, or if you’re trying to find the space to grow your business — now may not be the time to do the work, it just might be the time to lead.
You know the saying: what got you here won’t get you there.
But what does it really take to reach new goals? It’s subtle.
For more on the subtle mindset shifts required as you grow your business, check out Subtle: The Small Shifts That Lead To Big Results.
