WAITING

I hate waiting. It feels so passive - a waste of time.  I like to make a decision, move on, get going.  This impatient behavior sounds like a Myers Briggs (MBTI) "J" - or in the StrengthsFinder world, one of the executing type strengths like Achiever, Arranger, Focus.  


And yet I know that as a leadership tool, waiting can be a very important skill to master.  Sometimes waiting for more information leads to a better decision. Sometimes, waiting for someone else to decide is a powerful empowerment tactic for someone you're leading or mentoring. Or maybe it's waiting for others to catch up - come in line with - your line of thinking. And, sometimes, waiting is an important faith-building experience.


My colleague and friend Barb learned that WAIT is also an acronym: Why Am I Talking?  Yes, waiting in silence can be VERY powerful.  Let others sit with a thought. If you let them "get a clue" on their own, they've learned a much more powerful lesson than you could have delivered through a lecture.


So next time you get the urge to get to it, make a decision, deliver a message or just get moving, ask yourself if pausing - waiting - even for just a bit, might be an important tool in this moment.