How to avoid 8 deadly momentum killers in leadership

Scott Cochrane Aug. 28, 2020

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Leadership is all about generating momentum.

And it's also about making sure you are not inadvertently letting all that momentum slip away.

And yet, more often than you would think, this is exactly what leaders allow to happen. After all of their carefully-crafted efforts to build momentum for their organization, a few ill-advised steps can see all that momentum disappear.

But avoiding momentum-loss is usually very preventable, especially when you avoid these 8 classic momentum-killers…

1. Over-planning

Planning is necessary. Over-planning will suck the momentum out of your team.

2. Dragging out decision-making

When teams need a decision, it's deadly when no decision can be found. A delayed decision deflates morale.

3. Not communicating results

It's tragic when the organization actually hits a milestone, and nobody finds out about it. Sharing good news is low-hanging fruit for momentum-building.

4. Celebrating trivial matters

If you measure things that don't matter, pretty soon you'll be celebrating things that don't matter. Don't be side-tracked by irrelevant wins.

5. Not having short-term wins

Grand-slams are exciting, but rare. If you're waiting for the big home-run ball, you could be waiting for a long time. Recognize short-term wins, and celebrate them when they are achieved.

6. Constantly changing targets

If you've ever been on a team that couldn't seem to stick with a goal, you know how frustrating this is. And you know what a momentum killer it is when the target keeps changing.

7. Re-living past glories

Momentum is built by looking forward. There is a time and place to honor the past, but if you keep retelling the stories of a by-gone era, your momentum will be stuck in its tracks.

8. Re-organizing

One of the first signs of a stalled organization can be obsessive reorganization. If growth is causing you to shake things up, go for it. But don't allow yourself to be caught in constant re-orgs.

John Maxwell describes momentum as "a leader's best friend." Because, as Maxwell points out, when you have momentum, everything gets exaggerated, in a positive way.

So make sure your leadership efforts are indeed creating forward momentum.

And then ruthlessly guard against any momentum-killers that could let it all slip away.

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Scott Cochrane serves on the executive team for the Willow Creek Association, as Vice President, International Ministries. He was born and raised in Canada, where he became connected to the Willow Creek Association, first as a marketing director and later as the ministry’s Chief Operating Officer. Following a five-year stint as Executive Pastor of a large church, Scott returned to Willow Creek Canada in 2009 as Executive Director, and in 2012 relocated to Illinois to take up his current post with the Willow Creek Association. Learn More »

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