How does going fast help me lead more efficiently and effectively? How does it limit my effectiveness? What would slowing down do for my leadership? Beginning to answer to these questions gives us insight into what leadership effectiveness means for our role in our current organizational context.

It’s best not to create the false dichotomy of fast is good or bad and slow is bad or good. Leading is more about nuance and moderating our pace. Pausing and slowing down enough to take stock of our pace at the beginning of our day gives us a snapshot of our energy level and where attention is gathering. Awareness of our pace of leading begins with understanding how our energy ebbs and flows.

Going fast or slow is tied to many factors, internal and external, and focusing first on our internal landscape helps us understand what’s behind some of our behaviors. If our energy is up, and maybe edgy and anxious, maybe as a result of overthinking or too much caffeine, we may be aware that we are speeding up our meetings and acting too transactional in our relationships.

If our energy is down, maybe as a result of a poor night’s sleep or personal challenges, we may find ourselves lacking drive and motivation, which can resonate within our team in the same way. The key is being aware of our energy level before and during our interactions with others. Ask yourself – what am I sensing in my body? What is my level of energy on a scale of 1-10? Taking a non-judgmental snapshot of where we are energetically gives us critical information about how we lead, be it fast or slow.