Because of what I do, I am always facing a performance deadline. Not sometimes…always. Every weekend culminates in services which have performance elements which are viewed by a large amount of people, then even more on the web. Once the weekend is over, it all starts again. I am always preparing. On top of that, I typically work on three holiday events at a time. It’s not unusual for me to be thinking about Easter, The Fourth of July, and Christmas simultaneously! It’s crazy. On top of that, I’m typically preparing to teach a course, lead a workshop, or write for an academic activity. In every case, I’m preparing. Even this blog requires weekly preparation.
As a leader, I’ve found that the better prepared I am, the better I will perform. That may seem like a no-brainer, but I’m often amazed at others who seem to enjoy doing everything at the last minute and love to be in the midst of the chaos that comes when you’re not sufficiently prepared for the task at hand. I know it’s not my place to judge, and everyone is different, but sometimes it really saddens me when I see people fall way short of their potential simply because they have put off properly preparing for their task, and then missing the opportunity to have an excellent outcome and be seen as an excellent leader. I’m even sadder for the people they lead, because they are the ones who are really are missing out because their leader cheats them out of achieving their best.
I feel a deep responsibility to the people who trusted me to lead them. I make sure that in every context, and at all times, when I’m up in front leading, teaching, or writing, I’m giving my very best, which can only happen when I have done my homework and spent the time necessary to be excellent. Anything less than full preparedness is a breach of my leadership contract with them. They deserve to be put in a position to be their best, so I must be my best first. Sure, there are those who like to excuse their last-minute approach by calling it “being creative” or “spontaneous.” However, I find that I am my most creative and have the best opportunity to be spontaneous when I’m fully prepared. I’ve said before that the great jazz players make improvisation sound easy, but you can be sure that they know exactly what they are doing because of endless hours in the practice room. They can do it because they are prepared.
So, my encouragement to you is to do your homework. In every opportunity that you are given to lead others, do so with the strength and confidence that comes from knowing what you’re doing. Be prepared!
Lead well.