We are working and supporting others in what feels like a chaotic season. To show up well for others, let’s look together at the emotional and strategic bandwidth required to lead effectively.
What I am Hearing
Managing Perceptions: One leader realized that while half of her energy went to strategic work, nearly as much was being drained just managing how external parties perceived her plan, leading to decisions driven by how things look rather than what will actually work.
The “Glass Ball” Fear: There is a pervasive struggle to distinguish between “glass balls” (critical, high-stakes issues) and “rubber balls” that can safely bounce, resulting in decision paralysis where everything feels equally urgent and nothing gets the attention it deserves.
The Burden of Empathy: Supporting staff through clinical trauma work is emotionally activating. Leaders are feeling the weight of trying to be “everything for everybody,” which is simply unsustainable in high-stress environments, leaving leaders questioning whether they can sustain this work long-term without losing themselves.
Reclaiming Agency
I am working through this tension alongside you. As a business owner navigating growth, a coach holding space for your breakthroughs, and a husband and parent striving to be present at home, I feel the “capacity paradox” daily. I’ve realized that if I don’t do the internal work, I eventually lose the ability to be the leader my family and my clients deserve. My faith plays a significant role here, too, reminding me that it is trust, not control, that I need to lean into.
Real capacity isn’t about harvesting more from depleted soil; it’s about doing the groundwork: enriching the soil, removing what’s choking growth, creating conditions where things can actually thrive. When you give yourself permission to enrich the soil, you’re not abandoning the mission; you’re ensuring it can be sustained.
You don’t have to solve every problem immediately to be an effective leader. Building capacity is about leading from a place of steadiness rather than depletion.