Does Your Phone Have You? Rethinking Leadership in the Age of Distraction
There’s so much noise in our lives today that it can be hard to recognize our thoughts, hopes, or intuition. Our phones provide easy access to information, entertainment, and work. They also offer a distraction that’s beginning to create a separation among leaders. For some leaders, their phone has them; they are beholden to the technology and cannot break away. While other leaders can resist the lure of checking and scrolling to protect their space to discover, wonder, connect, and engage.
Which type of leader are you? That’s a question I ask myself with concern. I can see how my phone, once a joyful source of quick insights and updates, is becoming a pastime damaging my ability to be fully present with my thoughts and other people.
If you sense your phone might have you, rather than the other way around, here are three steps every leader can take to achieve a better balance:
Stop taking your phone everywhere. You won’t die without a mobile device. Yet we carry our screens with us like they’re a vital, life-saving medicine. We live in an interconnected world. That means we are also at risk of being overconnected digitally, especially in leadership roles where it’s easy to justify constant availability. Untether yourself by choice. When you head into a nice dinner with your partner, stroll into a museum, head into a work meeting or gather to watch a game, leave your phone behind. Get good at going a couple of hours without the quick checks and interruptions. You’ll learn to love the richness of being fully present again.
Consider what you really want from your device. The next time you mindlessly reach for your phone, pause and identify what you are really seeking. Is it clarity in the form of an email? Entertainment from fun videos? Connection from a rapid-fire text exchange? Relief from boredom? Distraction from difficulties at work? Clarifying your actual needs can help you see other options for satisfaction. Sometimes our phones aren’t the best way to get what we want. We’ve just made them the default.
Bring back what you did before your phone took over. Can you remember your life before your phone had you? I used to love reading books before bed. How did reading random Apple News updates crowd out that pursuit? I used to navigate around my hometown with ease. Why do I now GPS the grocery store? During a commute, I used to reflect on meetings or projects, but now those moments are filled with notifications. By recognizing how our phones have snuck into so many aspects of our daily lives, we can discern whether screen time would be helpful or harmful. As leaders, we know too much of a good thing risks the loss of value. Going back to no-tech ways in some pursuits can allow us to realize the benefits of technology more deliberately.
I’ve been practicing these, and I am noticing a better reality. I no longer miss my phone when it’s not right beside me. I seek it out for a specific action, not just when I want something to do. In those moments of wanting something, I challenge myself to choose what’s best for peace, relationships, and joy.
