LEADERSHIP AND THE ATTRACTION OF BUSYNESS

Abstract

AbstractThe authors explain why leaders are attracted to busyness, why it can be detrimental, and what can be done about it. The article is adapted from their new book Compassionate Leadership: How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way. They describe the research as “data collected from qualitative interviews with 350 executives (mainly Chief Executive Officers/CEOs and Chief Human Resource Officers/CHROs), and quantitative data from more than 5,000 companies in nearly 100 countries.” They note that busyness is seductive because it feels productive, yet is addictive. They believe that “busyness kills our compassion by cluttering our mind and closing ourselves to the wisdom and insight that comes when we have more mental space.” In overcoming this state, they provide insights, which in their words are: Busyness is a choice, manage time and priorities, put people first, and value busylessness. “If we focus on what we can and should do in this moment,” they write, “we can focus on the task at hand or the person we are with.”