We could use a wand, but would we learn as much from the fast fix?

Wouldn’t it be fun to have a magic wand to be able to do whatever you want whenever you want and make the changes that you desire that seem to take so long and breed impatience? Hmmm…. What would you do with that magic wand or with 3 wishes from a Genie’s lantern or with a fairy Godmother? Wow, what a gift those would be. Just think of the things you could do or get done or make magically disappear from your day. I wonder if it’s all that it’s cracked up to be? In fact, here are 5 things you might change and the impact they might have:

But who would then help you develop patience, allow you to practice your communication skills, and perfect your ability to answer “gotta sec” while sending an email, assessing a problem, and finishing a phone call? Who would help you develop the judgment on who needs your leadership and your coaching?

What if you could make it stand still or better yet, roll back the clock? Would your new found productivity be even more contagious? But if you did this, how would you learn to assess what is a real priority and what is a B,C, or D priority? How would you learn to determine the difference between important and urgent? How would you develop your skills of efficiency?

Every team needs a leader and every team needs folks who are not just like they are. In fact, every team needs all four personality types, behaviors and preferences. It allows for creative ideas to flourish and grow. It allows for disparate opinions to become stepping stones for what you are really after. It reminds you that there is more than one road to get to the outcome. Homogenous teams and thinking will keep you where you are and might even lead to being “stuck”.

Some time ago, I wrote an article entitled “Balance Only Works if You’re a Scale” and while this is still true, so many strive for the perfect balance of time and effort spent in each place. If you waived the wand to achieve it, you’d never experience the feeling of contrast within you that says you are off balance. You would miss the opportunity to listen to that inner Contagious Leader, telling you it’s okay to leave some things undone and its okay to walk away for the day.

We live in a culture filled with fast fixes and magic resolutions, but when you look at the value of the lessons we learn as leaders, the truth is they all take time. They all grow from the experience that turns into wisdom and allows you to grow into the leader you are and the leader you will become. Contagious Leaders develop their own character every day, they focus on learning and growing, not just for the team they lead, but for themselves. A magic wand or that fairy Godmother might be great to have on some days, but I’d choose learning how to work through something so that I know better for next time. Otherwise, I think I might wear out my wand and then what skills would I be left with? Hmmm…

Stay Contagious!
Monica