The Bare Necessities

Have you ever been confronted with a challenging task or project and felt woefully unprepared or inadequate? I’m known for my thorough preparation, as anyone who has attended one of my seminars or classes will attest. Each handout and planned group activity is carefully researched and designed. The meeting space is set up in advance and any audio visuals or equipment are tested and ready. This approach is intended to give me a sense of competence and confidence that my efforts will be successful. Of course, even my best plans don’t always achieve the results I’m expecting.

This week I was reminded in several ways how the daily grind of unexpected interruptions and heavy workloads can sap our creative energy and dull our emotional intelligence. Those same moments can leave us feeling empty, vulnerable, and incompetent. It’s hard to face the world when the talents and skills we have come to rely on seem distant or unproductive.

Fear can paralyze our effectiveness as leaders. Sometimes it is well-founded, many times it is not. When I fail to delegate tasks, it’s time to admit how my need for control may be stunting another person’s growth. If a publishing deadline is missed because I’m afraid the article isn’t perfect my clients may be prevented from receiving timely advice.

I have encountered more than one person recently who was feeling overwhelmed, unable to make clear judgments, or act on decisions because they had lost their perspective. Today’s downsized workforce and demand for greater productivity is causing many of us to focus on the wrong priorities. Instead of imagining possibilities we only see problems. Unless we learn how to reframe the situation we will surrender to a hopeless malaise, too paralyzed to act. Without making time for purposeful planning we will find ourselves procrastinating instead of prioritizing the most important aspects of our work.

Sometimes the best strategy for coping under these circumstances is to realize we aren’t alone. I have learned how to ask for help or to turn to God when the situation seems bleak. Our greatest resources aren’t always found in the prestige of an MBA degree, years of experience, or even past accomplishments. Baring our souls, being available in the moment, and trusting others may determine the ultimate outcome and level of success.

In the Disney movie, The Jungle Book, lyricist Terry Gilkyson, penned these memorable words for Baloo the bear to sing.
          Look for the bare necessities
          The simple bare necessities
          Forget about your worries and your strife
          I mean the bare necessities
          Old Mother Nature's recipes
          With just the bare necessities of life

Might these lyrics offer prescriptive relief for leaders facing unrelenting challenges in their personal and professional lives? What bare necessities have you been ignoring in your workplace and circle of friends? How has worry contributed to your incessant need for control? When was the last time you reframed your thinking about a problem? Perhaps it’s time to rediscover the bare necessities of life and leadership.