Hurry Up and Be Patient!

Posted by Scott Williams
2 Comments
February 21, 2010
Leadership | Next-Level Leader

hurryI remember early on in my career as a young leader receiving some valuable advice form my leadership mentor in career as a Prison Warden.  I remember sitting in my office with mentor as though it was yesterday.   I was a an ambitious 25 years old Warden, and I clearly remember my mentor looking me in my eyes and saying,  ”Scott your biggest challenge is that you are always three or so steps ahead of your staff and you will need to learn to balance your aggressive visionary spirit with being patient at the same time.”

It took me some time to reflect on whether or not his statement was a compliment or criticism.  I embraced the fact that whether or not it was a compliment really didn’t matter.  The reality was that his statement was spot-on.  I had to learn to stay a few steps ahead of my team in thought, while at the same time being patient with them , grow with them and allowing them learn from their mistakes.  I needed to Hurry Up and Be Patient; in other-words think fast and think ahead and be patient all at the same time.

I was always the young dreamer that was thinking, planning, evaluating and ready to charge the hill.  From that meeting forward, I began to re-evaluate my leadership style. I began to learn the art of knowing where we needed to be as an organization, arranging the right people in the right places and being patient with my staff.  This allowed both myself and my team to grow and develop as leaders.  It’s a great Paradoxical Leadership philosophy: Hurry Up and Being Patient. Below are three ways to Hurry Up and Being Patient.

  • Always know where your team members are personally, spiritually & developmentally (Stay 3 steps ahead of them)
  • Know the areas where your team members will struggle, fumble & need improvement (Be patient and let them struggle)
  • Evaluate, Re-evaluate, Evaluate, Re-evaluate, Make Tough Decisions & Grow (Lead ahead, hurry up, be patient and adjust accordingly)

Does this make any sense to you?  It does to me, maybe that’s because I’m just 3 or so steps ahead of you…  Don’t worry, I’ll be patient! :-)

Share your thoughts on Hurry Up and Be Patient!  What has been your experience with Paradoxical Leadership?

  • http://www.hautecakesandcookies.com triplatte

    Unfortunately for the ones being led, not too many leaders “get” this. It is so important to be patient while your team learns to “catch up” to where you are!

    You are right–all too frequently, leaders are impatient to make things happen without growing the team along with them. In the process, team members lose precious learning opportunities or the chance to struggle and come out successful on the other end. Too many times, leaders cut short the potential oak tree growing in their midst because of their impatience or inability (lack of knowledge/skill) to properly coach those they are leading.

  • http://jeffstockdale.com JJStockdale

    Right on! Have the same problem my self, I have learned that if you run out ahead of your team, they will take shots at you! Thinking ahead and leading in the present is a wonderful character trait for leaders! Thanks for your post!

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