Many leaders wait for “the right time” to focus on their professional development. They don’t mean like waiting until a specific date like the end of a quarter or a holiday on the calendar. Their “right time” is more vague:

• “when things quiet down”
• “when I hire this other person”

The reality? That time rarely arrives. Distractions and complications are constants.

The Pitfall

Many leaders feel that constantly addressing immediate issues is their duty. It feels like the “responsible” thing to do as a leader. Many even feel they are a failure as a leader if they don’t have the answers to all the questions.

This reactive approach might offer short-term satisfaction, but it hampers long-term growth. By always being the “savior,” you inadvertently train your team to rely on you for the answers to every crisis.

The Solution

Stephen Covey emphasized the need to “sharpen your saw”. This means investing time in yourself to learn and grow. Stepping out of the whirlwind helps you:

• You gain a broader perspective.
• You can differentiate between what problems are urgent and what are truly important.
• Your team becomes more self-reliant, presenting solutions rather than problems.

Amazingly, as you step out of the reactive, crisis mode and carve out time in your schedule to learn, to plan, and to grow, you become more effective as a leader. You gain perspective. And you retrain your team to think for themselves. Rather than giving answers, you ask better questions. You find yourself using coaching skills that result in them coming to you with their own solutions for you to review.

Now is the best time

Now is the best time to invest in your growth. Like a blinking “low fuel” indicator in your car, you’re realizing you need to do something is signaling to you. If you don’t stop, you will burnout.

Don’t wait for a perfect moment. Begin with just ten minutes a day devoted to your growth. Gradually increase this time. Like a muscle, your capacity will strengthen.

Our coaching clients and coach certification participants tell us that as seductive as “waiting for the right time” seemed, they’re glad they committed to growth. They were surprised to find that growth in “normal time” results in real change. Rather than learning in a hypothetical space, they get to experiment in real-time, iterating as they see what is working.

The desire to wait for a “better time” is normal. But the only time you have is the present. So start doing that thing you know you need to do.