How To Lead When You’re Out Of Gas
We have all been there…that place where you have to lead but have nothing left in your tank. The responsibilities keep piling up and you can’t seem to get the motivation to get through it all. And on top of it all, your team is looking to you to guide them…the only problem…you can’t seem to guide yourself anymore.
First off, let me say, we all have seasons when we’re out of gas. If you haven’t felt it yet…you will…and if you have felt it before…you’ll feel it again at some point. It’s not a sign of bad leadership or being a failure, it’s a common valley on the journey of success. So don’t beat yourself up too bad about it. There is hope and there is a way to break through without breaking down.
So how do you lead when you’re out of gas?
1) Always Keep Your Tank As Full As You Can
Just like a car needs a continual refiling of gas, so do we. You can’t expect to drive 500 miles without pulling over to a gas station to refuel. Your life and leadership operate on the same principle. Without consistent refueling, you’ll eventually breakdown. You need to identify and be intentional about doing what fills your tank. Everyone’s motivational tank takes different types of fuel. You need to know what your fuel is specifically. And then make sure you schedule it in as often as you can. If listening to podcasts fuel you, make a plan to have a daily intake. If a certain hobby refreshes you, schedule it consistently. If getting away by doing some traveling resets you, make sure you budget it in and schedule it regularly. Don’t go more than a few days without refueling your tank.
Without consistent refueling, you’ll eventually breakdown.
2) Protect Your Personal Life
You have to make sure you are creating boundaries around your day and your time away from work. These are the moments to refresh and refuel our tank. This means you also need to make sure your personal life is not a chaotic mess as well. I see many leaders lead a fast-paced work life, and then come home to craziness as well. Their kids are involved in everything under the sun, their social life is filled with get-togethers, parties, night outs, they’re going to every birthday party and family get-together that exist. Don’t red-line your personal life or your work life will suffer thus making your personal life even worse; it’s an unending vortex. Make sure you get control of your entire life or it will get control over you.
3) Fake It Till You Become It
Social psychologist Amy Cuddy says, “Don’t fake it till you make it, fake it till you become it.” The more you step up and lead, the more you’ll realize you can do this. Too many times we think we can’t go on, but in reality, we have more than we think. The mind game of burnout is powerful, but if you can break through it you’ll find strength will come. Don’t give up. Sometimes it’s right when we are ready to breakdown that breakthrough occurs. Don’t focus on what’s going wrong, focus on what’s going right. Negativity will try to destroy your leadership, but positivity can sustain it even in the hardest of times. Make sure you build yourself up by speaking life-giving words.
