Day #693 - Going Slow

Reflective Spaces

I was stood in the queue at the Post Office this morning, sending out a stack of books, which will travel around the world. I momentarily felt a little grumpy, as the queue was not moving, when I remembered that sharing books is a key part of my practice, and a privilege to hold carefully.

One was heading to France, one to the US, several around the UK, and most of them included a postcard, a chance to say ‘thanks’ for the support around my work, or asking people questions, or giving them a challenge to consider. I like these stories, these slow moving books, as they provide a more reflective space. Books like ‘The Humble Leader’ are indeed written purely as guided reflections. It’s a long way from even this digital format, where we focus on speed and tempo. Books are slow stories.

Use your sixty seconds today to consider if there is a slow story, or slow narrative, in your leadership practice.

It’s a hard question: perhaps it’s best to consider it by absence. How much of the time are you in near synchronous communication, on emails, Teams, or WhatsApp? And can you think of any conversations that defy this trend? Perhaps it’s a regular coffee with a friend or mentor? Or a club activity? Even a team event?

Synchronicity is great for sharing stories: slow reflection is great for working out what really matters in those stories.