Leadership Takes a Deep Breath

Leadership Takes a Deep Breath December 10, 2013

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I know people in positions of responsibility who are breathless.

They are busy. They buzz from task to task, responsibility to responsibility, meeting to meeting, without taking time even to breathe. Their lives are filled with demands that require their attention.

They need people, and more than one calendar, to keep them focused on what they need to do.

They are so busy because they are so important. They are crucial to how their organizations operate. Without them, business would grind to a halt. They are essential.

It is a terrible burden to be so essential, and so busy. There is never enough time to be really prepared, never enough time to really evaluate. There is never enough time to be thoughtful, never enough time even to take a deep breath.

The people who lead these lives often feel desperate. So many things, so many people, depend on them. They work very hard to avoid catastrophes and failures.

The leaders who inspire me are like a breath of fresh air. They stretch to fill their lungs with clean oxygen, then blow aside the distractions that threaten to clutter their focus. They take in the deep aromas of life along with life-giving air.

The leaders who inspire me recognize they need time to breathe. They appreciate that the deep work they do to know their true selves strengthens their leadership.

I often need to take a deep breath. Distractions make my breathing shallow. Each day, each week, each month, I have set times to remind myself to breath deeply.

Deep breaths are good for my heart, my mind, my soul. Cleansing and restoring, deep breathing helps me remember the leader I really am.

Will you take a deep breath today?

Is your leadership a breath of fresh air?

[Image by Sarah (Rosenau) Korf ]


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