Becoming a minimalist can improve your leadership skills and abilities
For years, I have been in awe of the minimalism movement. It does not matter if it is in art or architecture, design or creating spaces. Minimalism and its simplicity inspire me. So, when invited by one of my besties to join a Minimalist Challenge in February, I was all in.
Suppose you are not familiar with the minimalism movement. There is plenty of information available, most notably provided by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus and their documentaries, The Minimalists: Less is Now and Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things. Millburn and Nicodemus explain minimalism as “a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important — so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.”
The minimalist challenge is to get rid of the same number of items as the day of the calendar. You get rid of one thing on day 1 of the month, two items are donated or tossed on day 2, and so on. With 28 days in February, I was tasked to rid my space and my life of 406 things. I met the challenge and surpassed the number of items I would donate, recycle, give away, and trash.
As I got rid of things, I started to look at how the minimalist challenge can benefit leaders and those in leadership roles, of which leadership is a topic and area I study and teach. For leaders, it is not specifically about ridding themselves of things, per se. Instead, it is about ridding themselves of old ideals, lousy advice, antiquated thinking, and limiting worldviews.
1. Make space for what is important
When leaders rid themselves of old ideals and limiting worldviews, they make space for what is important. I should also add it makes space for something new. Consider this, in the last year, many leaders and organizations have made commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies, programs, and change. These organizations and leaders had to let go of previous beliefs that everything was okay with employees. Many could only make space for this important (and critical) commitment to DEI after releasing antiquated thinking and beliefs that they have held on to from the past.
2. Let go of what no longer works
I have been in organizations where simple process changes to improve efficiencies can cause a leadership meltdown. Most often, the process change will first benefit front-line employees, and in many instances, they are the ones who will insist on it. People in leadership, including middle managers, balk and resist because the change challenges a system that has been around for a long time. It is the concept of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” The question I ask is, “who is closest and able to identify the cracks?”
Just because something still works does not mean it works well. Leaders must always focus, encourage, and advocate for what works well. Minimizing allows leaders the freedom to make necessary changes.
3. Enhances and improves skills
Great leaders never stop learning and improving. They acknowledge their shortcomings and do what is necessary to overcome them through accountability and responsibility. When leaders embrace minimalism, they make room to improve their skills because nothing is holding them back. Again, it is freedom. Minimizing enhances a leader’s organizational skills and how they manage time. Through minimizing, leaders have space to focus and increases problem-solving, problem finding, and critical thinking skills. Communication becomes more intentional and effective.
How do life’s excesses create barriers for leaders?
Let’s go back to how Millburn and Nicodemus explain minimalism. They say it is a tool, which means it a device to use regularly and consistently. One of the greatest lessons I learned about leaders I learned early in life. Leaders lead by example. Leadership is about influence. Therefore, minimalizing and minimalism is an ideal tool for leaders to embrace and demonstrate for followers. After all, leaders should be the first to want their followers to find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.
