You Can’t Get Away!

I will be in Florida next week for the You Can’t Get Away World Championship. “You Can’t Get Away” is one of the favorite games of my three grandsons. I grab one of them, wrap up his arms and legs in a contortionist-hold from which “in the recorded history of earth and ESPN, no one has ever escaped.” I then scream, “You can’t get away!” and it’s game on—pulling, twisting, giggling, and smelly socks are all fair. (Tickling isn’t.) You can tell from their smiles, they always do get away, even if it takes a little help from a brother.

Leaders have to play You Can’t Get Away all the time. That’s why leading isn’t for everyone. As a leader, you can’t get away from:

People—leaders get things done through people. If you’d rather “do it myself”—leading isn’t for you.

Change—that isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel, it’s the change train headed straight at you. If you don’t like change, leading isn’t for you.

Results—you aren’t in a leadership position to look good and take up space—you are there to get results. If you don’t want accountability for results, leading isn’t for you.

Disasters—the unexpected will happen: things break, customers leave, mistakes are made, the worship leader gets sick, and so on. If you don’t like the stress of dealing with the unexpected, leading isn’t for you.

Criticism—every leader gets criticized. If you don’t have a thick skin, then leading isn’t for you.

Spotlight—you are in spotlight 24/7. Everything a leader does or says is spotlighted. If you want anonymity, leadership isn’t for you.

_______________________—you fill in the blank by sending me a comment. What is it as a leader you just can’t get away from? Let me know.

Leading is one of the most challenging and rewarding roles of organizational life. But it’s only for those who can thrive in a You Can’t Get Away environment. If you are looking for safety and clocking out at 4:30, leading isn’t for you.

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