A Leadership Lesson in Saying No

Happy Friday Leaders!

I've spent years advising school leaders about the power of saying no. "It's a crucial leadership skill," I'd say. "It creates space for what matters most. It prevents overwhelm. It protects your wellbeing."

Sound advice, right?

Yet here I am, one year into running my own venture, having ignored my own wisdom entirely. The irony isn't lost on me. I've been saying yes to almost everything, watching tasks pile up until, for the first time in my career, I've fallen behind on key deadlines.

This week marked a turning point. I cancelled all non-priority meetings (yes, even podcast recordings). I've declined three new projects. I've created space to catch up on outstanding work.

But why did I need to reach this point of drowning before implementing the very advice I've given countless others?

Perhaps there's something about experiencing adversity firsthand that transforms knowledge into understanding. It's one thing to know something; it's quite another to feel it in your bones.

This experience has me questioning: How can we develop better awareness of what's affecting us adversely before we hit crisis point? How might we use moments of discomfort as catapults for positive change rather than waiting for things to become unbearable?

Some questions for reflection:

• What advice do you give others that you struggle to follow yourself?

• Where in your practice might you be approaching a tipping point?

• What early warning signals are you currently ignoring?

• How might you turn your current challenges into catalysts for positive change?

Sometimes the best leadership lessons come from our own moments of recognition - when we finally practice what we preach.

Here's to learning the hard way (and hopefully helping others learn the easier way).

Have a great weekend,

Shane

P.S. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. What strategies help you notice and respond to professional overwhelm before it becomes critical? Reply and let me know.

And here’s a couple of my recent conversations to take you in to the weekend: