“Time Out!”

In many different environments and in most sports play, apart from soccer’s “stoppage time” rule, the use of time-outs are well employed for varied reasons. A time-out is a means to use time wisely, another practice I struggled with in elementary school, as often as I did with “shows self-control.”  And while the elementary school environment may be the best place to learn about the importance of using time wisely, the leadership environment is not.

I have watched countless people tank as leaders, by their own choice, because of their poor use of time. What many of them did not realize is that the first letter “T” in the word termites represents time, and their unwise use of it awoke the termite of time causing a slow breakdown and consistent weakening in their leadership ability. Statements like, “If he doesn’t have time for me, I don’t have time for him,” or “I asked for some of her time, and she said, “Just a minute,” but her minute turned into a month of Mondays, clearly reflect the impending destruction.

Smart leaders choose to use time wisely by making the word “TIME” an acronym in their daily vocabulary, “Take Inventory, Manage Effectively.” As leaders, we are all endowed with an equal amount of time every day, and as smart leaders we invest that endowment carefully to realize the best return possible. Those leaders using time wisely, will always build value, confidence, and trust in their people and their people respond by showing up and being involved even when circumstances are hard. Those leaders misusing time will do just the opposite, and ultimately break people down. People doing just enough to get by and not showing up and getting involved when the possibility exist is one expression of this breakdown. When leaders misuse or mismanage their time, people respond by not giving their time.

A sad story circulates when folks return to schools or universities during this time of year. It is a story about a professor who showed up the first day of class to explain the syllabus requirements, and various protocols and processes. His subsequent classes he placed a device with his lecture on his desk. He wrote a note on the board that read, “When all are present, press play on the device on my desk.” The students expected the professor to show up at some point, but he never did. When the professor did stop by to check in on the class, all he found were devices on his student’s desk recording his lectures.

Given the potential destruction caused by poor time management skills or the misuse of time altogether, it is always wise for leaders to take a time-out to examine or reexamine the way they use their time. How we use our time will tell the tale. I just wonder, what people say about how you use your time?