The Secret Edge You’re Too Busy to Unlock (#241)
The Confident Leader
BOOST YOUR LEADERSHIP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
Buried in deadlines and demands, you may have overlooked a hidden advantage that turns chaos into monumental breakthroughs. It’s not about working harder or faster. Take a cue from the playbook of top leaders and notable trailblazers as your next step to stand out.
You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.
— Maya Angelou (American poet and author)
This Week’s Edition
As meetings pile up, inboxes overflow and a break seems unattainable—taking a moment for deep reflection appears to be a luxury for leaders. However, those who rise above these challenges find a crucial lever: time and space to spark creativity.
Clarify Your Thinking
Leaders who take the time to explore can significantly enhance their impact even when it appears wasteful to others. The typical day that stifles creative sparks appears as follows:
- Critical deadline looms,
- Your team needs direction and
- Urgent messages compete for focus.
In a rare lull, an idea flickers—perhaps a bold shift in strategy. It feels vague at first and then somewhat elusive. It requires more time for reflection and deep contemplation.
The tyranny of the urgent pulls you from the lull.
Old Thinking: I can’t afford to dwell on this. There’s too much at stake today. I’ll jot it down somewhere and return to it later. I’m concerned I won’t return to it. Argh!
New Thinking: I must dedicate substantial time to explore wherever my thoughts may lead. No one else in our organization is actively thinking deeply; they’re too busy. It’s up to me to be disciplined and carve out that time.
Thoughts Lead to Actions
A 2021 McKinsey study highlights the stakes: leaders who prioritize creative problem-solving boost team performance by 67%, yet most overlook it, bound to immediate tasks. Duty demands urgency, but what if deep thinking is the real game-changer?
James Cameron, the creator and director of the movie Titanic, was flooded with offers after that massive box office hit. His coach likely advised him to pursue those obvious opportunities. Instead, he dug deeper. He followed his curiosity about Titanic. He personally visited the wreck site 33 times.
Those immersive experiences created Avatar and the hit franchise that reshaped cinema, earning over $2.8 billion. Making himself available, Cameron’s plunge into the unknown wasn’t frivolous; it was a calculated investment in creativity.
How do you ensure availability for deep thinking when your schedule resists? It’s not about quick breaks—it’s about claiming the space to dive into the abyss of the creative zone. Consider these three steps:
Step 1: Set an appointment: Block your Calendar for a recurring two-hour slot. Treat it as non-negotiable. Use it to explore one big question or idea, free from interruptions. A conference room, a walk, anywhere works—just protect it.
Step 2: Signal Your Absence: Let your team know that you will be offline during that period—no emails, no calls. This is a purposeful shift to think beyond the daily grind, allowing your mind the space to expand and roam.
Step 3: Build the Runway: Begin with a prompt—“What could transform our approach?”—and allow your thoughts to develop throughout the session. Scribble, sketch, or pace. The goal isn’t to find instant answers; it’s to immerse yourself in a creative flow where insights can emerge.
Your team relies on your expertise, and this is an opportunity to deepen it. Claim one of these blocks this week and see where it leads you.
Boost Your Performance
Check out this week’s video to learn more about carving out time to think deeply.
What’s Your Opinion?
I’d value your thoughts—share what surfaces by replying. Leadership thrives on execution, but it excels through imagination. Share it with me at robin.pou@robinpou.com.
If you are going to be a leader, you might as well be a good one. Don’t let doubt count you out. Have a confident week!
Robin Pou, Chief Advisor and Strategist
We live to make bad leadership extinct so forward this newsletter to others who strive to be confident leaders.
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What is “The Confident Leader”?
During the Covid-19 Pandemic, I began a video series called “Panic or Plan?” It was designed to equip leaders to navigate the doubt they experienced and to rise in the confidence they needed to lead during turbulent times. It took off. I then started this newsletter to equip leaders in the same fashion each week for the doubt that crashes across the bow of their leaderSHIP.
