3 Quiet Weeks

A client recently said, “It’s been quiet for three weeks. I haven’t achieved the challenge you gave me months ago. But I’ve had margin.”

My mind went to “shoe-drop” conversations. That’s when waiting for something bad to happen ruins the present. I’ve had many of those conversations. But he didn’t go there.

He referred to a half-joking challenge I had given him. “The next time we talk, I want you to complain about being bored.” He said he hadn’t got there yet.

Things get quiet when:

Team members are competent. High-functioning teams don’t eliminate challenges. They reduce avoidable ones.
Leaders delegate. When responsibility comes with authority, people solve issues on their own.
Everyone owns their part and cares about the whole. Success goes beyond doing your job. Ownership means elevating the whole team.
People focus on solutions. Circular conversations, blame, and friction are minimized. A solution-focus results in low-drama organizations.
Learning is more important than perfection. Quiet means issues are resolved before they become big problems.

During Quiet:

Quiet is opportunity. Reinvest margin.

Make things better. Improve one process. Make work easier by removing obstacles.
Dream about the future. Sketch opportunities instead of reacting all day.
Encourage progress. Spotlight wins. Reward forward motion. Shift from correcting to affirming.
Equip people for new challenges. Delegate when competent people are 70% ready.
Improve your own leadership. What does your future team need you to become? Engage in structured self-reflection.

Don’t feel anxious when things are going well. Healthy margin means teams are working.

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Quiet is a sign of competence. High-functioning leaders don’t run around with their hair on fire.

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Previously Published on leadershipfreak with Creative Commons License

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