They certainly don’t happen that often, but once in a while I get one of those days. You know the days I’m talking about. The kind where you look at your calendar and there is nothing, absolutely nothing, scheduled for the day. Waking up on one of those days is glorious. Laying in bed asking yourself, “What should I do today?”
Everyone needs a day like this now and then. In the hustle and bustle of our lives, down days often equip us to be able to handle the strings of days where our calendars are packed.
But these types of days should be an exception, not the rule. Especially if you are a leader.
When the leader wakes up regularly with no clear understanding of what needs to be done there is a problem – a big problem. Leaders should have such a clear understanding of their mission, their purpose, that each day is merely another step towards that mission.
Think about the trickle-down effect here. If the leader is unclear about the mission, imagine how it is for those that are following them. Instead of a team, we instead have a group of individuals with no clear purpose doing their own thing.
Leaders must have a clear understanding of their purpose. Without this clear understanding, the vision cannot be passed to others. The vision, the purpose should drive all activities at work. It provides focus and perspective by which efforts are measured.
Leaders by all means take advantage of those rare days with no real responsibilities. Savor them. Use them as a springboard to the days that are overflowing with tasks. But make sure that the vision is clear on workdays. Because if you’re asking what you should do today, you can bet your people are too.
