Let's face it. There are times when leading your organization suddenly doesn't seem like such a great idea. Some symptoms include:
- dreading showing up to meetings/events/etc.
- having panic-inducing dreams about your organization.
- compulsively faking sick.
- suddenly realizing that you can't speak without whining.
- guilt is your main source of energy.
As nice as moving to Thailand may seem at times like these, a more reasonable approach may be to figure out what's really bothering you.
Spend a little time away from your group, try explaining the problem to a neutral party, and write about it nonstop until your head feels empty. Make a list of what excites you and energizes you most in your organization and what frustrates you and sucks out your energy. Figure out where most of your time is being spent.
Sometimes having numerous sources of frustration leads our brains to turn the entire situation into one mish-mosh of badness. Taking the time to break your feelings down into manageable units makes it easier to pinpoint the real problem and deal with it. In many cases, the desire to quit is simply an indication that you are overwhelmed and need to share your responsibilities. Often it is a lack of organization or structure.
But there are times, of course, when quitting really is the best option for you and your group. So if your "pros" pale in comparison to your two-page "cons" list, if you're frustrating yourself and your team, and if the idea of quitting feels like a pillow being lifted off your face, then by all means, just do it. It's usually not as hard as we imagine to train a replacement. No, you do not need to clone yourself.
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