Well those drifters’ days are past me now, I’ve got so many more things to think about
Deadlines and commitments, what to leave in, what to leave out
Against the wind, I’m still running against the wind
I’m older now but still running against the wind
I love that song – a classic from the 1970’s west coast music scene. Now that I’m a bit older, I can totally relate to what Bob Seger was talking about. He was running against the wind when he was younger, facing many challenges as he struggled as an unknown artist. But when he got older, he still found he was running against the wind. Only now that he was successful, the wind was schedules, and commitments, and priority decisions.
I reckon this happens to many of us as we climb the ladder and move into more senior roles. Being the boss is great, but it comes with its own pressures and headaches. For many of the senior leaders I work with, the wind they are running against is a schedule jam packed with meetings, and an inbox full of emails. And the nagging feeling they don’t have enough time to do what they really get paid to do – think, strategize, make decisions, and lead.
If our schedules and inboxes are overwhelming our focus and our time, we need to do something about it. We can’t accept that this is just the way it is. We need to take steps to change the culture within our team and protect ourselves and others from the wind that howls. And the good news is there are plenty of things that can be done to reduce email noise and time spent in unproductive meetings.
Are you tired of running against the wind, and what are you going to do about it?