When Larry and I were newly married and still in college, he had a baseball championship game. I was running late, so as I hurried up the hill toward the field, a group of friends came sprinting down, waving their arms like the place was on fire.
“DEANNA! GET UP HERE QUICK!! YOUR HUSBAND IS PITCHING A NO-HITTER!!”
I stared at them, concerned, trying to calm them down.
With full sympathy, I said, “It’s okay, guys… I’m sure he’ll do much better if you just give him time.”
They looked at me like I had dropped in from another planet, and then they laughed and laughed.
I had no idea a no-hitter was a good thing.
In my mind, if someone got no hits, it meant they had really messed up. I know nothing about sports. Still don’t. But I always showed up for my husband and later my sons, cheered when everyone else cheered, and prayed I was cheering for the right team. 😂
Here’s the part that surprises some people:
I don’t learn what I don’t need to know.
Not out of stubbornness…
but out of stewardship.
I believe the brain has extraordinary capacity. But for me, when I take in too much information, I feel mentally crowded and overwhelmed. And it has always been this way. It’s not an age thing. It’s a wiring thing. So I made a decision early in adulthood:
I only learn what will help me fulfill my purpose.
In leadership, that mindset has served me well.
For example, with PF Women, I delegate assignments and then, I truly release them. I don’t go back and learn how to do every job on the team. If I did, I’d be drowning in details instead of leading with vision, mission, creativity, and focus.
Because here’s the truth:
If I spend all my time learning other people’s roles, I’ll never excel in the one God has trusted me to carry.
There’s freedom in staying in your lane, and there’s wisdom in staying out of someone else’s.
On the other hand, when I do need to know something, I become a voracious learner. If God calls me to it, I’ll read thousands of hours on that topic (not an exaggeration). I want to become excellent at the part of the work that is mine to do. But the things God has assigned to others? I cheer them on, without trying to master their lane.
One of my mentors once told me she prays about what books to read. There are billions of them, so she only wants to read the ones that move her forward. I do the same. I don’t add books to my list just because someone says I should. My reading is intentional.
A book on leading teams—yes, that belongs on my pile.
A book on running a marathon—no, not unless God calls me to one. (He has not so far. )
The leadership lesson?
Be intentional about what you learn.
Become excellent at what God has assigned to you.
And release the rest with confidence—not guilt.
When you stop pressuring yourself to know everything, you become a stronger, more focused, more peaceful leader. And everyone around you benefits from a leader who is operating from purpose instead of overload.
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