Red Line Leadership

I’ve been part of the driver training process with all four of my kids. At some point along the way, each has pointed to the dial next to the speedometer and asked, “What’s that?” I’ve explained that it’s the tachometer, which measures how fast the engine is turning. The next question inevitably is, “What happens if you increase the RPM’s up to the red line?” The answer, of course, is that a brief excursion into the red isn’t a problem, but staying above the red line will damage the engine. Fortunately, all of my kids have trusted me on this, and none (to my knowledge) have decided to experiment and test my assertion. On the other hand, I know plenty of leaders who can explain the importance of finding a sustainable pace and of making time for renewal, but then fail to apply this truth in their own lives. What about you? How long have you been saying, “It’s just a busy season”? Can you even remember how long that “season” has lasted? Or how many times in the last month have you said “yes” to something without taking an equivalent time commitment off of your plate? A car makes a very unpleasant sound when it’s driven above the red line. It’s a clear warning to slow down or shift gears. With leaders, it’s much harder to hear the sound of family or relationships or your own soul slowly shriveling. Ruth Haley Barton observes, “We long for a word from the Lord, but somehow we have been suckered into believing that the pace we keep is what leadership requires” (Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership). In the spirit of full disclosure, it’s an ongoing struggle for me to not get suckered into believing this lie. What about you? Are you spending far too much time above the red line? It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>