Your a few men down (or women)...short staffed by 234%
One of my go-to leadership strategies, especially when a leader is wrestling with a challenge, is to ask them to zoom out for a moment. Imagine someone else—let’s call them "Leader You 2.0"—is in charge of your team. What advice would you give this Leader You 2.0 about the situation? Often, when we’re knee-deep in the weeds, it’s tough to see how things could be any different. But stepping back, even just mentally, can reveal solutions that initially seem impossible.
Take this scenario: You’re a manager or supervisor, and suddenly, one or two key team members leave for new opportunities, someone goes on maternity leave, and now you’re short-staffed by 234%.
You’re expected to dive into daily tasks while also keeping your leader hat on. It’s overwhelming, right?
Here’s where my strategy kicks in:
Ask Yourself: What Would You Tell Leader You 2.0? Pretend someone else is telling you about this exact situation. What advice would you give them? This mental shift can help you see that there are, in fact, solutions—even when it initially feels like there are none.
Carve Out Time to Be a Doer and a Leader If you need to jump into the day-to-day, consider doing it first thing in the morning. Set an out-of-office reply like, “I’m with my team until 10 AM; I’ll be back in my inbox by 10:30.” This simple boundary allows you to fully focus on being a doer before switching back to your leadership role for the rest of the day.
Prioritize Ruthlessly Recognize that your time is limited. What are your non-negotiables? Maybe it’s one-on-ones, staff meetings, or leadership meetings—these must stay on your calendar. Then, identify what needs to slow down—perhaps a project will take longer or move at a different pace. Finally, determine what can wait and put those tasks in the parking lot for later.
By giving yourself this mental space and structure, you’re not just managing the chaos—you’re leading through it. And don’t forget to communicate these changes to your team. Let them know, “For this season, I’ll be helping out in the mornings, handling leadership tasks midday, and we might slow down on some projects. But we’ll get through it as a team.” That simple clarity can make all the difference in reducing uncertainty and keeping the team aligned.
We’ve got this!
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