What are you here to do?
We all know leadership in the third sector can often be overwhelming. There is always so much to do, everything feels urgent, there’s constantly someone who needs something, and you want to be there to support your teams. As well as actually doing your own job.
The constant ping of Teams, emails and calls between meetings means it’s easy to lose your focus when you finally get the chance to dive into the things which need your attention. It leaves you in a constant cycle of firefighting, which can mean that you lose sight of what you’re meant to be doing and feel like it’s impossible to know what you should be doing.
But you don't have to stay stuck in firefighting mode. It is possible to find the focus you need to keep yourself on track.
When Your Plan Is Shot by 10am
When I was a charity leader, I often found myself with a clear plan for the day which was shot by 10am. There was a request from a commissioner, a serious safeguarding issue which needed my attention, or a staffing issue which couldn’t wait. And I’d find myself drawn in to a spiral of reacting to these urgent issues, and my plan for the day would seem like a distant memory. I know I wasn’t alone then, and this is a common issue with the leaders I talk to and work with now. There is an acceptance in the sector that we will all be stretched thin, but an assumption that we’ll muddle through somehow.
Why This Keeps Happening
Over the years I’ve come to realise that this happens for a number of reasons, some of which are just norms in the sector which you’ve had modelled to you in your previous roles. These are some of the most common reasons I see:
Everything feels important and urgent, which means you feel you need to respond now
You don’t want to put more onto your already busy teams
You’re holding on to certain tasks because you did them in your previous role, or because you enjoy them
It’s quicker for you to do them, then explain to someone else
You want to be there for your teams & support them, so don’t want to make them wait
But ultimately what this means, is that you get caught up in the here and now, you don’t say no, and leaves leaders overworking for an average of 10 hours a week. And this doesn’t just mean that you’re overworking, it means that you’re less effective and ultimately can mean that the charity is working without the focus and vision it needs to achieve its’ objectives.
In these moments, the question you need is “what is the best use of my time as CEO right now?” This is a difficult question, because the compassionate, supportive you may want to dive in and solve the problem that’s been put in front of you, but this might be a habitual response, not what is best for the charity in that moment. And this is what you need to hold on to, not what does this individual need, but what does the charity need from you in this moment.
If only it were that easy
I know some of you might be thinking, that’s just not possible for me, especially if you’re leading a small charity, where the resources to support you are limited or there isn’t someone to delegate to or who can pick up other issues. That is the reality for many charity leaders, you are holding so much. In this circumstance, this question still stands, but we also need to consider “if this needs my attention now, what can I let go of, what can be paused, what other deadline do I need to renegotiate”. The answer shouldn’t be I’ll take this on, and keep on working, because that is a surefire way to burnout, and you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your wellbeing for your work.
I know this question; "what is the best use of my time right now?" might feel uncomfortable at first. It can feel selfish when someone needs your help. But here's the thing, your job isn't to solve every problem. Your job is to lead the charity forward. And you can't do that if you're constantly firefighting.
You deserve to actually do the job you're here to do.
If you're finding it hard to answer this question, or you're realising that firefighting has become your default, you don't have to figure this out alone. Book a time to chat and let's talk about how you can get back to leading.