{"id":40354,"date":"2025-01-30T21:05:22","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T05:05:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=40354"},"modified":"2025-01-31T07:16:08","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T15:16:08","slug":"from-hustle-to-halt-leading-well-through-margin-and-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/from-hustle-to-halt-leading-well-through-margin-and-transition\/","title":{"rendered":"From Hustle to Halt: Leading Well through Margin and Transition"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image Created by SMETEK\/SCIENCE<\/p><\/div>\n

In today\u2019s fast-paced world, we are often told to push forward, strive for progress, and never settle. The mantra, \u201cWinning in the Margins,\u201d embodies the sentiment to use every available opportunity in our lives to advance and succeed. However, the drive for success can lead us to overwork, overload, and overlook one crucial element\u2014margin. But what if the key to lasting growth lies not in doing more but in embracing the spaces in between? These liminal spaces, where we are caught between what was and what is next, are uncomfortable yet essential for transformation. Navigating these uncertain periods with patience and purpose can be the most powerful catalyst for personal and professional growth. In this article, I will briefly examine the importance of margin in our lives and leadership and provide a roadmap for leading through transitions. Drawing on insights from Volume One of Illuminare<\/em>[1]<\/sup><\/a>, we will explore how embracing the in-between can fuel long-term success. From leading transitions effectively to cultivating the resilience needed to thrive through discomfort, we will uncover how waiting and navigating change are both necessary and transformative.<\/p>\n

Winning in the Margins<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In her article “Finding and Keeping Margin,” Karise Hutchison underscores the societal emphasis on progress and delineates the inherent dangers associated with such a priority.[2]<\/sup><\/a> She addresses the deceptive and addictive nature of prioritizing progress, which can ultimately lead to burnout. Building on this premise, Hutchison articulates the necessity of intentionally creating margin within our schedules to allow for the unexpected, guard our productivity, and make us more flexible and available as leaders to serve the needs of others.<\/p>\n

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However, margins can represent more than just empty spaces on a calendar. In an interview, Glenn Williams, author of\u00a0When Leaders are Lost,<\/em> identified margins<\/span>\u00a0in a clarifying way, discussing the time between opportunities and what he refers to as the \u201challway of transition.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0He states, \u201cThey say when one door closes, another door opens. What many don’t tell you about is the long walk between the doors.\u201d[3]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Contrary to what Dr. Suess might think, “The Waiting Place\u201d[4]<\/sup><\/a> is not useless; it is in this margin that some valuable transformation can occur. Although it can be disorienting at first, it may ultimately yield the fruit of clarity and growth. Christine Gilland Robinson, in her article “ Taking the Long Way Around,” <\/span>reflecting on her pregnancy, notes that often, during times of transition, we are invited into a season of intense waiting. Waiting can be highly transformative; you reach a point of recognizing your lack of control and arrive at a place of surrender.[5]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

In “Overcoming Barriers to Student Understanding[6]<\/strong><\/sup><\/a><\/em>,” Meyer and Land explore the concept of liminality\u2014the space and time between the known and the unknown. Leaders who operate without margin often fail to take the time to reflect in this in-between space, where deep transformation occurs. Rather than rushing on to the next task, leaders can learn to remain in this liminal space, allowing insights to emerge and guiding their direction with greater intentionality.<\/p>\n

When leveraged effectively, margins represent the space leaders create for themselves and others to handle unexpected challenges, reflection, and personal renewal. Without margin, leaders face the risk of burnout, reduced effectiveness, and a lack of perspective. It is essential to acknowledge God\u2019s design for margin. Consider the pattern in the creation account found in Genesis 1-2, where God rested and appreciated His creation on the seventh day, inviting us to embrace this same intentionality around rest. To truly succeed in the margins, we must resist the societal pressure for constant progress and trust in God\u2019s design and pattern for our flourishing.<\/p>\n

A Map for Leading Others Through Transition<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Next, we will consider the importance of leading others through transition.\u00a0 Hutchison points out that transition is different than change. She states, \u201cChange can be described as external, imposed on an individual or organization, transition is an internal psychological process of adapting to a new situation.\u201d[7]<\/sup><\/a> While they can happen simultaneously, transitions don\u2019t occur automatically.\u00a0 This is where healthy leadership can be beneficial.\u00a0 Hutchison offers three phases of transition for leaders to consider, which, along with insights we have considered concerning margins, can serve as a map for leading others through transition:<\/p>\n

The Three Phases of Transition and The Map:[8]<\/sup><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Saying Goodbye (Letting Go of the Old)<\/strong><\/p>\n