No matter how busy you are as a leader, don’t picture yourself running. Show confidence as a leader by thinking like a drummer, and picture yourself walking.
Have you ever watched a drummer in a band? Talk about patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time. Drummers have one foot on the bass drum, one foot on the high hat, and sticks or brushes in both hands. To an untrained eye, their work is a blur, especially when the music is fast.
I used to sing with a jazz quartet. I asked the drummer how he kept so calm while he drummed so fast. He said a coach once told him that “no matter how fast the beat is, picture yourself walking, not running.” Wow! That taught me a simple leadership lesson, and a great way to exhibit confidence and lead by example.
Leadership thought – Picture yourself walking, not running.
I found that “walking, not running” is good advice for how leaders view our busy days. Because how you picture yourself makes a big difference. How often does your perception of your self-control actually undermine your progress? If you think you’re harried, you are, and then you lose focus and confidence. And your employees lose confidence in your leadership. Becoming a confident leader means thinking you can handle your tasks, so you’re much more likely to do so successfully.
How do you picture yourself:
- When you have more to do by the end of the day than you expected?
- When you’re racing to complete the tasks on your list?
- When three employees are all needing a moment of your time?
- When you are nearing the deadline for your project?
Try picturing yourself at a walking pace, efficiently handling your tasks in a prioritized order. To others, you’ll still be moving at warp speed and you’ll still look like a blur, just like the drummer. But, inside you’ll be centered, calm, focused, and effective – just walking. You’re becoming a confident leader. You haven’t peaked yet!