This is a post by Author/Pastor Dan Reiland that I wanted to share with you. Well worth the read.
Are you feeling pressured right now?
On a scale of 1-10 how much pressure are you under right now?
Do you consider your pressure helpful or stressful?
How do you know the difference?
Leaders navigate within the realm of pressure; it’s part of the landscape. BUT it’s how we handle the pressure that makes all the difference.
Pressure is a much-talked-about subject because we all can identify with the sense of being under the gun. Yet, the less common but important topic is why a certain amount of pressure in a leader’s life is necessary and good.
We know that too much pressure, especially sustained, harms your leadership. It can hurt you mentally, physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.
But too little pressure is equally harmful. It can result in your leadership beginning to coast, sloppy thinking, minimal preparation, and your endeavor getting stuck.
A good picture of this is your blood pressure. Both high blood pressure (hypertension) and low blood pressure (hypotension) have potentially serious outcomes if left unattended. Just like there is a healthy zone for your blood pressure, there is a healthy zone for your leadership pressure.
But many of life’s most important things, and their outcomes, are found on the road less traveled. Like exercise for the purpose of better health, it’s only sustained through discipline and internal pressure to stay consistent.
Life doesn’t typically reduce your level of pressure, especially in leadership; instead what we must do is learn how to manage it better.
Managing your pressure in healthy ways includes things like:
Cultivating margin
Intentional soul care
Someone to talk to
Knowing your limits
Right-sizing the problem
For this moment I want to focus on the how to see the right amount of pressure as a helpful thing and embrace it.
How much pressure is the right amount?
The right amount of pressure lifts you out of your comfort zone but never leaves you in a crushing zone.
Instead, the right amount of pressure keeps you in a growth zone.
4 ways the right amount of pressure is helpful
1) Pressure creates the impetus for us to start and complete.
Internal and external pressure leveraged toward positive outcomes creates the impetus for us to start and complete the things that matter.
You’ve heard these quotes:
“Starting is half the battle.”
“Without a deadline, nothing is completed.”
So true.
Starting something new or taking a fresh new approach brings energy in itself. Even starting a difficult task or an uncomfortable conversation brings a sense of forward-moving energy.
Finishing something you started is personally rewarding and is an uplifting boost to your soul.
Your internal drive or an external challenge from a coach, spouse, or friend is often just what is needed to get you out of the starting blocks or across the finish line.
If you don’t have the necessary internal drive, give someone permission to add “encouraging pressure” to help you get going.
What do you need to start this week?
What do you need to finish?
2) Pressure helps nudge us to make a tough decision or take a risk.
External pressure often comes in the form of time or from your team.
It doesn’t help your leadership to miss deadlines or procrastinate frequently. Instead, allow the external pressure from the clock or your team to help you overcome your resistance to make the tough decision.
These kinds of deadlines are a helpful kind of pressure. Embrace them.
When you sense that momentum has declined and you see the need for the endeavor to move forward, embrace that internal pressure to take the risk and get going again.
3) Pressure helps us do some of our best thinking.
I am a writer. I try to write daily. I write books, speeches, sermons and I must set aside systematic time to do it. But here’s what I’ve learned, more hours don’t necessarily mean a better product.
The pressure to focus deeply and write clearly within a timeline produces some of my best thinking. My hunch is that will work for you too.
The internal pressure to write in a timeframe clarifies my thinking. Of course, this kind of pressure is not something you want all day, every day, but applied to one or two things a week, is highly beneficial.
4) Pressure helps us focus on priorities.
My hunch is that you have more things to do, people to talk with, problems to solve, etc., than fit in your calendar.
If you are a young leader, learn to handle this pressure early because it’s not going to lessen. But, on the other hand, if you are a seasoned leader, take heart; as you gain more wisdom about your true values, your priorities become clearer.
As a young leader, I believed everything was a priority, I still struggle with that some, but I’ve learned that even if I think they are all top priorities, I cannot allow myself to treat them like they are.
The pressure of leading well, in combination with a deep heart connection and commitment to personal values, helps us focus on real priorities.
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