Leadership roles often requires a capacity to deal with multiple challenges. Consequently, we need to be able to share our ‘attention budget’ between various roles, functions, priorities, and tasks.
Leaders as Jugglers
The juggling metaphor is sometimes used to suggest the dexterous handling of these multiple demands. Each metaphoric ‘ball’ is given its due, and we divide our time between them judiciously. Each is caught and attended to before being passed on to another person or stage, thus allowing our attention to turn smoothly to the next ball that needs to be caught. (See header image above).
As with so many metaphors and mental models, reality is not that simple.
The roles, functions, priorities, and tasks do not all require the same time allocation, skills, and levels of thought. While familiar and routine tasks can be attended to using standardised ‘by-the-numbers’ processes and systems, thus requiring little fresh thought, new or unusual situations require greater caution and developmental work. Sometimes this means inventing new ways of doing things.
Quite often, the issue is not the novelty of the tasks we have to do, but the number of competing demands requiring attention within tight (or even impossible) time constraints. (Anyone who has had to prepare complex Ministerial briefing notes in 30 minutes or less understands what adrenaline tastes like!)
From herding to juggling cats
While ‘herding cats‘ is one way to describe the complex dynamics involved in collective decision-making, ‘juggling cats‘ can be used to characterise the leader’s lot when faced with multiple competing demands.
Not all issues or tasks ‘weigh’ the same – hence some of the metaphoric balls we are juggling may be tennis balls, but others can be bowling balls, or beach balls. Amongst the array of considerations, risk factors also need to be continuously reviewed. There may also be a chainsaw or two thrown into the juggler’s collection of props.
For some, the unpredictable nature of cats might symbolise managing diverse teams and volunteers; the dangerous chainsaws could reflect high-stakes decisions and regulatory compliance; and the heavy bowling balls embody substantial projects and financial responsibilities. Balancing such factors requires finesse, strategy, and resilience.
Which matters in your leadership environment would qualify as ‘cats‘, ‘chainsaws’, or ‘bowling balls‘?
Leadership Dimensions
The selection of leadership dimensions in the header chart is not comprehensive. Depending on the field in which you work, you may identify various additional or alternative fields.
Whatever your field, as a leader you will inevitably face multiple challenges. When you do, you will rarely, if ever, have time to reflect or to seek guidance. Instead, you will make a call, and only later will you have opportunity to reflect on whether you might make a different call next time.
The mistakes we make are our best teachers – provided we own them and move forward. Denial only leads us to repeat the same mistakes.
Variables, models and elements
A list of variables, models, and elements associated with each of 15 leadership dimensions is offered in the next chart. Not all of these factors will be applicable to every situation you face, but there is not a single leadership situation that doesn’t involve a subset of factors like these.
If you are seeking a leadership role, you will benefit from exploring the body of knowledge associated with this list. Familiarity with the methods used to address such considerations will be most helpful when you are expected to make snap decisions. That can be a daily occurrence for most leaders.
Leadership Considerations
A single focusing question has been offered for each of the 15 selected leadership dimensions in the chart below. While these are expressed in the present tense, you won’t have time to consider each one for every situation you face. You may therefore find it helpful to reframe them in the past tense, for reference in your reflective practice at the end of each day or week.
Top 5 Strategies for Effective Juggling
Some suggestions for more effective ‘juggling’ are offered below. Of course, there’s more to it than these five tips suggest, but they nonetheless offer some useful starting points.
Best wishes for keeping all of the balls (cats, chainsaws, etc.) in the air.
See also:
What? So What? and Now What? – your reflective practice guide
Reactive, Responsive, & Proactive Leadership
Empathy and Mindfulness in leadership (and life)
Hurry Up and Slow Down
Regret: your improvement catalyst
