FOR THE LOVE OF LEADERSHIP ARCHIVE
Deadlines - Love 'em or Leave 'em
This week’s newsletter was published a day late because I couldn’t get the original idea to flow in a way that I felt good sharing.
There’s an important message somewhere in that story, but I just can’t quite put my finger on it. I tried a couple of ideas, but if I shared either of them for the sake of a deadline, we’d miss out on something more meaningful.
I know this because I did have the message in my brain at one point. It came to me in the changing room of our community pool. I didn’t write it down, and it snuck away.
I believe it will come back and when it does, I will share it with delight - it’s a fun one.
But for today, as I sat here trying to figure it out, trying to coax the idea back to my brain, it occurred to me that this story might be the one with a worthwhile lesson:
Deadlines can be super helpful. We work in relationship to other people and project plans and all the things that keep us coordinated can support healthy, productive partnerships.
Expectations and accountability are important pieces of thriving cultures and consistent, inclusive leadership.
But, sometimes as leaders, our projects and teams actually need us to take a step back - from the plans, the timelines, and the to-dos - to check in on:
>> Where do we need to be strict and where might we be a little flexible to let something develop before calling it done?
>> What’s the value and what’s the impact of urgency?
>> How do we decide on our deadlines in the first place? And how do we know when it’s OK to push them - for the sake of the work or the sake of our sanity?
So, today’s email is just an invitation, permission maybe, to ask - is there anything causing undue stress, requiring the team to work after hours, or that would just benefit from a bit of time to simmer?
Because sometimes the best ideas and outcomes happen when we stop forcing them.
Do you have any deadlines that could use a little breathing room? Maybe this is your sign to give them some space and see what blossoms.
Laura Buckley is a leadership consultant and facilitator helping leaders build cultures where people can thrive. Because when your team thrives, your organization does, too. With 20+ years of experience as an Army officer and dietitian turned consultant, she brings expertise in team dynamics, behavioral change, and trust-building to drive real impact.
