Confidence and Clarity (Stop Waiting to Feel READY)
Your Next Mailbox Is Closer Than You Think
On a hot, steamy June night in the summer of 2007, I laced up a new pair of Brooks running shoes, stepped out onto my driveway, and felt deeply embarrassed.
I was carrying a lot of extra weight and was a year and a half out from heart surgery. I waited until dark to head outside because I was terrified a neighbor might see me.
What in the world? Look at him trying to be a runner!
All the things I imagined they'd say.
I started running, but by the fourth mailbox, my lungs were burning so badly I thought I might pass out.
I stopped, but in the midst of it I decided to keep going, walked the rest of that mile, and felt the weight of every one of those unkind thoughts I was telling myself.
It was absolutely brutal.
But I kept going. At least I had started!
The next night, I made it to six mailboxes before walking. Then eight. Eventually, one mile became two, and two became three.
I certainly didn't feel confident when I laced up those shoes, but what I learned is that taking action built the confidence I'd been waiting for so long.
Four weeks later, a coworker convinced me to sign up for my first-ever 5K. At the time, that felt like an absurd distance. And lo and behold, on October 27, 2007, I crossed the finish line with my store team from Barnes & Noble running with me and cheering me on (shout out BN2196!).
If I had set out to run a half-marathon on night one, I would have quit immediately. I probably wouldn't have laced up my shoes the next night.
The goal would have been too big, and my confidence wouldn't have been there yet. Small, repeatable wins (a.k.a. those mailboxes) built my confidence and momentum instead.
The Comfort Trap
There is a comfort trap in early leadership that leaders fall into.
Most people get promoted into leadership because they are exceptional at executing the plan.
You probably built your reputation on quick feedback loops: fix a problem, hit a deadline, check a box. Get the recognition. Sound familiar?
But when you step into a larger leadership role, those feedback loops often slow down. The stakes are higher, outcomes take longer to appear, and certainty is harder to find.
Confidence and clarity take a back seat.
When volume and expectations ramp up, it is easy and tempting to retreat into what used to work.
You dive back into tactical problems that are no longer yours to solve.
You delegate work but hold onto authority, double-checking every detail and micromanaging the team.
Retreating into hands-on work gives you a temporary sense of control, but in reality, it slows your team down, erodes trust, and leaves you exhausted.
It actually does not give you control; it just gives you an excuse to delay the real work of leading!
You do not need a half-marathon plan to get started or make progress, you just need enough motivation to get to the next mailbox.
What’s Emerging This Week
(Insights are generally useless without action!)
Take five minutes right now to see where you might be holding back:
Write down three decisions or actions you are putting off while you wait to feel more confident or certain.
Identify the story you are telling yourself about why you aren't taking action (remember, not making a decision is a decision!).
Pick one of those areas and choose a single, concrete step before Friday to move it forward, even if just a little.
So, where are you waiting for confidence to show up before you get into motion?
How many mailboxes are you running tonight?
With intention,
Scott
P.S. If you are ready to bring your leadership team together and get them into action that builds organizational confidence, reach out to me today at s@scottschultz.co or leave a comment. My team will set up a quick call to see how we can help your team get on the same page and move forward together with confidence and clarity.
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