Well hello there and Happy Monday! I’m Monica Wofford and this is your Monday Moment.
I recently started reading The Year of Yes. I remember watching a movie with Jim Carey called the Yes Man, and I know a LOT of leaders who fear not saying yes, will make them not well liked.
Yes to one more meeting.
Yes to one more request.
Yes to an exception.
Yes to a new resource need.
Yes to something that doesn’t actually move the work forward.
Saying yes doesn’t make you likeable, it makes you moldable. It’s like one of those video games where you keep having to ask for safe passage to progress to the next level.
These asks give the person a pass, if you will. And you the leader get used to saying yes, possibly even more easily swayed by those whose motives might not be focused on actual job performance.
The challenge is this: every “yes” to something is also a “no” to something else.
Yes, you can leave the castle. That means no, you won’t have a full staff AT the castle.
Yes, you can put down the draw bridge. That means no you won’t be protected from those lurking dragons.
You get the idea. Time, focus, and priorities are all limited resources and effective leaders understand that leadership isn’t just about what you take on or say yes, to. It’s also about what you protect.
That might mean:
- Saying “not right now” instead of “yes”.
- Asking what truly matters before committing or
- Protecting the team’s time as much as your own. Because when everything is a priority, nothing is, really.
I’m Monica Wofford and let’s keep talking… leadership.
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