Time Orientation and Leadership Under Pressure

In this episode of The Leaders Kitbag, I explore why leaders respond so differently when the pressure is on.

Some double down on structure and cling tightly to the plan, while others seem to thrive when things go off-script, almost as if they’re winging it.

The difference often comes down to our time orientation preferences:

• ‘Through-time’ leaders feel safest with structure and planning, but may struggle to flex when circumstances change.
• ‘In-time’ leaders thrive in fluid, fast-moving situations, improvising and adapting as things unfold.

Neither approach is better or worse; it’s about recognising our natural wiring, being aware of our blind spots, and learning how to flex when needed.

In this episode, I also share a practical challenge for both types of leaders to help you step outside your comfort zone and build new strengths.

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Podcast Transcript

Throughout my career, I’ve seen leaders respond to pressure in very different ways.

There are some who appear to grip the plan even more tightly when things start to change. You even hear this reflected in their language when they say things like “hold tight” or “hold fast.”

And then there is another group who seem to thrive on going totally off-script when things change. To the uninformed observer, it might even seem as though these leaders are totally winging it.

I’ve always found this fascinating, and I’ve been curious about why leaders can respond to pressure in such different ways. It’s only recently that I’m starting to understand some of the behavioural preferences or wiring in our brains that causes leaders to respond in very different ways.

That is exactly what we’re talking about in today’s episode of The Leaders Kit Bag.

So, to today’s episode of The Leaders Kit Bag. As I said, it’s only now that I’m really starting to understand how some of our behavioural preferences, or mental wiring if you like, can affect our leadership reflexes.

One that I’m finding particularly fascinating is our time orientation.

Some people are more of what we call a through-time leader.

These people often feel safest when there is a clear, structured plan. When the pressure builds, they double down on structure, push harder towards the timelines, and may struggle to adapt when flexibility is required.

Then there are what we call in-time leaders.

By contrast, these people often feel most alive and energised when things are fluid and changing. When things start to fall apart, they will often improvise well and excel at being able to do the very next most important thing.

Here’s one of the most important points about our time orientation preferences: neither is good or bad, better or worse.

This isn’t about capability. We can all do both.

Even a through-time person can operate in uncertainty and flex when needed.

And in-time people, despite loving flexibility and freedom, can plan and create structure.

It really is about understanding our preference and our habitual behaviours, how we might initially respond and react to situations.

And, like anything, we can learn new behaviours and become more aware of our blind spots.

So I’ve got one simple challenge for both through-time leaders and in-time leaders that you can go away and practice.

If you’re a through-time person who thrives on planning, I challenge you to let go of the plan occasionally. Be slightly less structured. Maybe even go with a minimal viable plan.

For the in-time people, your challenge is to build a response plan. Think about the immediate actions you could take if things suddenly start falling apart or the unexpected happens.

That’s it for this week’s episode of The Leaders Kit Bag.

As always, I hope it’s been really beneficial.

Remember: look after yourself, look after those you’ve got the privilege and responsibility to lead, and until next time, #LeadOn