In a recent conversation with a colleague, we discussed his schedule. For a major part of the year, he lives on a high-speed schedule. His schedule contains a steady stream of activities and very little room to add further activities.

The last activity he added meant that he had to balance things, especially time at work. Where he would have been able in the past to work longer here and there, it was clear that to stay true to his commitments he was not be able to do so anymore.

Looking back, he noticed how this had changed his way of working. Where his team had had the habit of CC him in the hope that he would stay updated and intervene when needed, they now heard that if they wanted his attention, they would need to connect with him directly and with a clear description of the support needed.

This was only one small change he made, but one that describes how he had thought about the way he was most useful for his team. Having a stricter time boundary for his work had invited him to reflect on his leadership style and the way his leadership would be most effective.

It wasn’t by trying to remain aware of the individual activities in his team or being constantly active in solving problems. He could let go of the desire to show his team how helpful he was. He also could let go of a need to be validated by individual team members appreciating his continuous support.

By understanding and deciding how he was adding value to his team he also changed his ability to see the impact of his work.