Time is one of the most important resources leaders have, and using it effectively can maximize their results. A calendar is an indispensable tool in that regard. But leaders don’t use just one calendar; they should operate using three.
1. Journals from the Past. The first calendar leaders must regularly reference is one that chronicles the past. It’s difficult to be successful where they are if they don’t understand how they got there.
This calendar should contain more than a list of dates and activities. It should identify key events, but it should also retain leaders’ thoughts on those experiences. It has often been said that people do not learn from their experience; they learn from reflecting on it. I have many of my father’s old journals. I currently have one on my desk that he used beginning on September 8, 1993. That was a huge year for my dad. Many new relationships and opportunities were developing for him following the release of Experiencing God in the fall of 1990. As I read his journal, I recognize many names of people who would go on to play a prominent role in his life. To understand how God used my father, it’s important to know more than simply the dates he spoke or traveled. It’s also crucial to understand what Dad was hearing from God and learning.
When I first came as a pastor of a troubled church, I read through the minutes from previous business meetings. I knew the church was in a difficult place, but I needed to learn why and how it got there. Gaining that perspective helped me change its future.
Leaders can’t live in the past; they must excel in the present. But examining the past can help them grow and acquire wisdom. By reflecting on past mistakes, they are less likely to repeat them. By identifying where they took a wrong turn, they will more easily be able to get back on track. A problem with today’s society is that there is no sense of history. We suffer from perennial problems because we never learn from the past. It is challenging to move to a better place without understanding how we got to where we are today.
2. Current Agenda. Leaders should primarily focus on the present, for that is the only calendar they can impact immediately. They should avoid becoming distracted by the past or entranced by the future. Too many leaders live in the past. Some love to reminisce about better times when they experienced success. Others are haunted by earlier failures and fixate on second-guessing what they could have done better.
Though leaders can learn from the past, they can’t live in it. The fact that a leader was successful ten years ago is of little use today. Past failures are also unimportant. The present offers a fresh opportunity to experience success.
Unscheduled time is often wasted. Wise leaders marshal it intentionally and carefully. Rather than breaking their day into fifteen-minute segments, they typically schedule their time in blocks of an hour or more to allow for deep focus on important issues. Days off and evenings can also be organized so they are used wisely, even if the goal is recreation and pleasure.
Leaders must accomplish important tasks, and one of the most effective tools is a simple “to-do” list, with the most important activities listed first. Successful leaders know that if they complete the top 3-5 most important tasks of the day, everything else is merely a bonus. They also guard their schedule from intrusions and time wasters that are the bane of busy leaders’ lives. Nevertheless, godly leaders recognize that God has the right to intrude into their schedule any time he chooses. People are more important than tasks, and sometimes their plans must temporarily be set aside in order to invest in people.
Effective leaders don’t have any more hours in their day than ineffective leaders do. But productive leaders learn how to get the most out of their time.
3. Future Calendar. One of leaders’ crucial responsibilities is to lead their organizations into the future.Great leaders are future-oriented. They have their eye on the destination. Through the years, I took over several organizations that were far from where they needed to be. I couldn’t perform miracles overnight. Nevertheless, I painted a picture of where we were headed. This description helped people know what to expect if they joined us. It gave a sense of purpose to our actions in the present.
People want to join something that is larger than themselves. A future orientation allows people to see that one day their contribution will have a much larger impact.
Leaders focus on both the near and distant future. The near future, such as the end of the year, is rapidly approaching. Therefore, leaders should make concrete plans and set ambitious goals that can be achieved within, at most, twelve months. But effective leaders also look farther out on their calendars and prayerfully consider where their organization will be five and ten years from now. Leaders should grasp these plans lightly, for much can change over time. Nevertheless, they ought to have a clear sense of direction for the future that drives what they do each day.
Effective leaders operate using not one but three calendars. They must understand how the past lays the foundation for the present, and the present tends to determine the future. The challenge is not to focus on one calendar and neglect the other two. Everyone has preferences. Some love to dream of a better future, while others are hopelessly nostalgic for the past. Still others are so enmeshed in the present that they give little time to considering where they are going or where they started. Wise leaders hold all three in proper balance.
Take some time to consider these three calendars. Does one—or all—of them require your immediate attention? Time is valuable! Don’t waste another hour.
