Taming the "Urgent": How Rural Leaders Can Reclaim Time for Strategic Vision
"Just do the best you can. Do the seven... and then just move on. You’ll never get anywhere if you wait for your ten." — Chad McComas
In the early stages of Del Norte Mission Possible (DNMP), Daphne Cortese-Lambert was the heartbeat of every operation. She was the one in the camps, the one answering every late-night text, and the one personally handing out sleeping bags from the back of the outreach bus.
Like many rural leaders, she was "building the plane while flying it," driven by a mission-heart that refused to say no.
However, as the organization approached the opening of a $10 million shelter campus, the weight of being the "everything person" began to cause "birth pains". She realized that while she was busy putting out fires, she was missing the high-level opportunities to engage the "heroes"—the donors and community leaders—who would sustain the mission long-term.
The Pain Point: The Tyranny of the Urgent
The greatest enemy of a rural leader is the "urgent" crowding out the "important". In smaller organizations, leaders often suffer from "silo fatigue," feeling isolated and powerless to stop doing the frontline work they hired others to perform.
When a leader is stuck in "startup mode," every leaky faucet or staff interpersonal conflict feels like an emergency that requires their personal intervention. This cycle leads to burnout and prevents the organization from maturing into a professional entity.
The Key Lesson Learned: Moving from Oversight to Insight
The breakthrough for DNMP came when Daphne realized her role had to shift from "doing" to "leading". We learned that strategic vision is reclaimed through structure and delegation. By memorializing her "street wisdom" into recorded transcripts and written policies—such as a specific "sleeping bag policy"—she empowered her staff to make decisions without her.
This transition allows a leader to move from oversight (checking every task) to insight (guiding the vision). A leader’s most valuable task is not washing dishes or managing time cards; it is being the visionary who inspires the community and cultivates the donors who make the miracles possible.
Reclaim Your Vision with Expert Guidance
Rural leadership doesn't have to be a lonely "upriver slog." Our Technical Assistance team—Chad McComas, Matt Vorderstrasse, Phil Johncock, and our exceptional team, many with “lived experience”—brings over 70 years of combined experience to help you navigate these complex operational waters.
We specialize in helping leaders move past the "wisdom bottleneck" by creating professional development pathways and institutional memory that safeguard your mission. Let us help you tame the urgent so you can focus on the important work of changing your community. Book a Free Consultation today and start building a legacy of sustainable hope.
By,
Phil Johncock, MA, MMs, GPC
PhilJohncock.com | PhilJohncock@gmail.com | (702) 518-8756