The space leaders need most

By Dave Veale

A few years ago, I worked with a leader whose biggest challenge wasn’t strategy, talent or performance.

It was time.

His calendar was packed from morning until night. At one point, he was managing two separate calendars because of the different roles he held. Meetings overlapped. Every hour seemed spoken for.

Like many leaders, he wasn’t lacking commitment. He was lacking space.

Space to think. Space to reflect. Space to focus on what mattered most.

In many coaching conversations, we discover that the issue isn’t capability. It’s that leaders have become so busy managing activity that they’ve lost the space needed to lead intentionally.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the difference between activity and meaning.

Most organizations don’t suffer from a lack of effort. People are busy. Calendars are full. Projects are moving. The challenge is that too often we’ve lost sight of why we’re doing these things in the first place.

Meetings are one example.

The problem isn’t that organizations have too many meetings. The problem is that too many meetings have too little meaning.

The same can be true of initiatives, training programs, strategic plans and even day-to-day conversations.

Great leaders create meaning. They help people understand why something matters, how it connects to a larger goal, and what success looks like on the other side. When people understand the purpose behind their work, engagement changes. Accountability changes. Energy changes.

Before adding another meeting, launching another initiative, or asking people to take on one more thing, ask yourself a simple question: Do they understand why this matters?

Because activity alone rarely creates momentum. But meaning does.

Sincerely, 

Dave VealeFounder and CEO 

Vision Coaching