When we think about leadership and all the role demands of us, we often end up rushing, hurrying, and hustling. But will that give us the best results? What if we focused instead on calm leadership? What if we chose to lead in a more intentional, measured, reflective, and calm way?

I propose we would be more effective.

Yet, the chorus of Alabama’s 1992 hit, “I’m in a Hurry (and Don’t Know Why)” might sound like the soundtrack of our lives…

I'm in a hurry to get things done

Ohh I rush and rush until life's no fun

All I really gotta do is live and die

Even I'm in a hurry and don't know why?

And maybe the bridge is a more direct reflection of your life as a leader…

Ohh, I hear a voice

That says I'm running behind

I better pick up my pace

It's a race and there ain't

No room for someone in second place

But calm leadership looks and feels different. It recognizes the pace of the world, but realizes that to get great results, sometimes we must slow down. Then we can make faster progress in the best direction.

Basketball coach John Wooden said it this way: “Be quick but don’t hurry.”

If you like the idea of calm leadership but aren’t sure where to start, here are five strategies that will help.

Take a Deep Breath

This is likely something your parents taught you to do when you are upset. Take a deep breath. Taking three or four is even better. Mom and Dad knew it worked and science proves it. Deep breathing increases the oxygen levels in your blood, which can literally help you think better. It reduces cortisol levels and helps support your lymphatic system, which removes toxins from your body.

Deep breathing also helps us center ourselves and become more present. When we feel the urge to rush or hurry, taking a few deep breaths is one of the best things we can do.

Compare Urgent vs Important

Situations, problems, and questions come at us all day long. It is easy to view all of these as urgent matters. But they aren’t. It is easy to give in to the tyranny of the urgent. We tend to prioritize immediate (and what seem to be pressing) matters over our long-term goals and objectives. Calm leadership requires keeping the important in focus, even when urgent matters surface.

Reflect Rather Than React

The ability to react is critical to us physically. If we see a car coming toward us, we need to react. But in the world of leadership, we will be better served by reflection rather than reaction. Postponing a decision even a few minutes, or perhaps until tomorrow, can have a greater impact on the choice you make. Take the chance to reflect, find and weigh options, and consider the implications of the choices more carefully.

Listen More Deeply

Listening deeply is a calming activity. But that isn’t the only reason it is so important to calm leadership. In “rush mode,” we may tend to rely too deeply on our own experiences and perspectives. Take the time to ask others for their perspective, and then listen carefully and deeply to what they offer. This will both slow you down and give you more and better information before you move forward.

Have Someone Help You

Reacting, hustling, and hurrying are often rewarded in the world today. While you might like the ideas of calm leadership, you might be addicted to the busyness. To move consciously toward the goal of calm leadership, you likely need a mentor, a supporter, a coach, and an accountability partner. It could be a single person, a group you trust or even your team. Let them know you want to be more measured and intentional and ask them to let you know when they see you leaning into busy, and away from calm.

Being calmer, more conscious, and more intentional isn’t something you will achieve overnight. The approaches here will help you move in that direction as you consciously and consistently apply them.

Kevin Eikenberry is a recognized world expert on leadership development and learning and is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. He has spent over 30 years helping organizations across North America, and leaders from around the world, on leadership, learning, teams and teamwork, communication and more.

Twice he has been named by Inc.com as one of the Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts in the World and 100 Great Leadership Speakers for Your Next Conference. The American Management Association named him a “Leaders to Watch” and he has been twice named as one of the World's Top 30 Leadership Professionals by Global Gurus. Top Sales World has named him a Top Sales & Marketing Influencer several times, and his blog has been named on many “best of” lists. LeadersHum has named him one of the 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership in 2023.

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