The Leadership Garage: Creating Space to Improve
36% of Americans surveyed admitted that their garage is too cluttered to park a car in it. Ours isn’t that bad - but it’s far from pristine. This weekend, I finally gave it some attention and tackled unpacked boxes from when we moved into our house four years ago (yes four 😬).
After hours of work, there was still a lot to do, but after packing the suburban full for a goodwill trip and filling our trash and recycling cans to the brim, there was a bit of relief. We had purged unnecessary items and organized what we still needed/utilized. I had put it off for too long - but once I started, it felt surprisingly therapeutic. A physical AND mental weight was lifted.
Physical items aren’t the only thing that can accumulate over time. As I was sorting through boxes and deciding what to keep or toss, it hit me: this isn’t just about cluttered garages - it’s about cluttered leadership.
Over time, my responsibilities as a leader have steadily grown - more requests, more tasks, more to-dos. And in the pursuit to be great and continue to “MIBE”, I have added more to my plate than I have taken off. My pace of accumulation has surpassed my ability to delegate or let go.
I realized that if you are constantly going from task to task, there’s little room to actually improve anything. Things get done, but often without critical thinking. You stay busy, but wonder why your results have plateaued.
So this week I’m inspired to take an inventory of my responsibilities - a leadership spring cleaning!
Letting go of tasks is hard, which is why it’s important to remember the “why” behind the process. We must create space now, so we’re ready for the opportunities ahead - ones that can bring new levels of joy, success, and fulfillment.
Letting go created space - not just in the garage, but in my mind. It was a powerful reminder that when we simplify, we make room for something better to emerge. Time is our most valuable resource and if we want to maximize our impact as leaders, we have to be intentional about how we spend it. Cleaning the garage reminded me how important it is to regularly pause, reflect, and do a “spring cleaning” of our commitments - clearing out what no longer serves us to make room for what truly matters.
Here’s your leadership spring cleaning challenge: Take inventory. Look at everything on your plate and ask yourself:
Is this still relevant?
Can I let this go?
Is there someone else I can empower with this responsibility?
And here is the tougher question: How do you decide when it’s time to let go of something that once helped you succeed - but may now be holding you back?
Keep MIBE-ing!
Anthony Lambatos
Founder, MIBE
Hospitality Culture Training
Owner, Footers Catering
P.S. Create space to improve: Join us at our MIBE Heart Leadership Workshop in August.
