Do You Know a Leader’s Greatest Challenge?

Intriguing question…  Leaders face many challenges over the course of their career, but I believe there is one which is common to us all.  Further, I believe this challenge can go unnoticed and has the potential to rob us of our true potential.  So, what is this challenge?  Let’s take a look in today’s post.

I believe your greatest leadership challenge is yourself!  More specifically, it’s your thoughts.  Superintendents often face conflict, shifting politics, and complex issues which can lead one to constantly be on alert and consumed in thought.  In the back of our minds we are continually thinking through what’s next and how it might be addressed, which can deprive us of time for thoughtful reflection and renewal.

As we enter into deep thought regarding tough issues we need to prevent against negative self-talk.  I believe negative self-talk is often subtle, but if not recognized, can become ever present.  It is where we presuppose a negative outcome before entering a situation, or fearing the worst when pushing an initiative.  In essence, it is a focus on all that can go wrong rather than stepping back and looking at the reality of the situation.

To combat negative self-talk we need to train ourselves to defeat what psychologists refer to as “psychic equivalence”.  Basically this is where the mind imagines a negative outcome and we allow our thoughts to accept that as reality, in essence making the two equal.  Once we recognize this line of thought we need to step back and consider the true situation.  In other words, although a negative outcome may be possible, in reality there may only be a 20% chance of that occurring.

Chuck Swindoll says that life is “10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it”.  If this is true we must understand what drives our thoughts and actions, and employ techniques which can help us stay positive and thoughtful as challenges occur. 

So, to win the battle of our minds I believe we need to 1) Recognize when we are in a cycle of consumed thought regarding complex issues and shift to other thoughts or activities, 2) We need to identify when we are devolving into negative self-talk and focusing on unrealistic outcomes, and 3) When we realize we are caught in #1 or #2, refocus on a piece of biblical wisdom which states: whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

If we can discipline our minds in this fashion I believe we will find that we are more productive and less reactionary as superintendents.  We clearly need to think about and address complex issues, but to do so effectively we must find balance.  Periodic deep reflection is healthy, but consumed thought or concern makes us less productive.

Please take a moment in the comments below to share any thoughts or ideas you might have on this topic.  As always, we all learn and gain wisdom when we share with each other.