I love living in a part of the world where the change of seasons is so striking. Here in Omaha, Nebraska, I love watching new plants bloom in the spring – from crocuses and daffodils to tulips. The flowering redbud and crab apple trees make morning walks feel magical.
In my backyard, I have 3 forsythia bushes. They’ve struggled the past few years. In their excitement to bloom, they can get going a bit too quickly.
As soon as it starts to warm up, usually in late February or early March, they become heavy with emerging buds. And then the weather turns colder. They freeze before they have a chance to open. Only a few flowers actually bloom, and the bushes end up looking lackluster and disappointing.
And I’ve made that same mistake.
In my excitement to get something new out into the world, whether launching a new leadership consulting initiative, preparing for a speaking engagement, or supporting executive teams through change, I’ve gone too fast. I didn’t pause to gain perspective from multiple aspects. I missed things. I made mistakes that, if I had only slowed down a bit, I could have seen and corrected.
The result was something less than I envisioned and sometimes even lackluster and disappointing.
As an executive coach and leadership consultant in Omaha, I see this pattern often with leaders and teams.
Why do we feel the need to push things so fast?
What are we afraid will happen if we slow down?
Organizations today feel fast and chaotic. Leaders feel pressure to respond quickly, make decisions instantly, and keep their teams moving forward at all costs. It can be overwhelming, especially for executives navigating growth, cultural change, strategic shifts, and desperately trying to keep up.
But what if the thing we all need is to slow down?
In my executive leadership coaching and organizational consulting work, I often help leaders and teams step back long enough to gain clarity. Slowing down doesn’t mean losing momentum. It means aligning momentum with purpose.
What if the world feels faster because we’re part of the push?
Maybe if we stopped pushing so hard, individually and collectively, everything would begin to move at a healthier, more sustainable pace.
You have your own natural leadership rhythm. Your team does too.
Finding and honoring that rhythm can be difficult when it doesn’t seem to match the urgency around you. But when leaders find their authentic pace, something shifts.
The stress and fear start to abate. Decision-making becomes clearer. Team communication improves. And you find more passion and meaning in your work.
In leadership development work with executive teams across Omaha and beyond, I see that people are drawn to leaders who move at an authentic pace. Leaders who aren’t consumed by frenzy, but lead with clarity. When you’re courageously authentic, others want to be around that energy.
It creates safety and builds trust. It strengthens culture and actually leads to more efficient work production.
What’s your natural pace as a leader?
Where are you feeling pressure to keep up with a speed that doesn’t serve you or your organization?
What might you discover if you slowed down and chose a more intentional path?
And what impact might that have on your team?