Removing the Barnacles of Life: Growing Leadership Efficiency

Ever end your day exhausted, but unsure what you actually accomplished? Your calendar was full, your inbox overflowing, and your energy drained… yet progress still feels just out of reach. Maybe you realize you’re meeting the standard, but not necessarily thriving?

You're not lazy, unmotivated, or uncommitted. In fact, you're moving. But maybe not as efficiently as you could.

That’s where the metaphor of barnacles can reset the way you think about leadership and life.

The Barnacle Problem

Every ship sailing the ocean faces the quiet problem of barnacles. These small crustaceans attach themselves slowly to the hull of a ship and secrete a natural concrete-like shell.

At first, barnacles seem harmless. But over time, barnacles create drag. The ship burns more fuel, moves slower, and even risks long-term damage. Shipping companies estimate barnacles reduce fuel efficiency by up to 40%, costing hundreds of millions each year. Left unchecked, they corrode the hull and weaken the ship’s performance.

The Barnacle Solution

The solution isn’t to build a new ship. The ship is strong and capable. It just needs a regular dry dock reset. The ship needs time out of the water to strip away what doesn’t belong.

During dry dock, barnacles are blasted off using high-pressure water jets, mechanical scraping, or even sandblasting. Once removed the hull is cleaned, sanded smooth, repainted, and propellers polished. After this labor-intensive, but necessary process, the ship sails faster and smoother, not because it works harder, but because resistance is gone.

Barnacles are Inevitable

Leaders need dry dock moments too… and regularly. Not because we're broken, but because we're valuable. You don’t have to be a ship to accumulate drag. Just live, lead, and work long enough and drag builds up. Even the most successful leaders and organizations experience it. We’re not talking about laziness. The key to leadership efficiency is to regularly remove the barnacles.  

Barnacles and Leadership

In leadership, barnacles show up in small, almost unnoticed habits that drain energy:

·      Saying yes to too many commitments.

·      Avoiding hard conversations.

·      Micromanaging instead of empowering.

·      Filling schedules with meetings that don't move the mission forward.

·      Leading by email instead of being present with your team.

None of these make you a bad leader. But if they're left unchecked, they steal energy from you and from your team. Strong leaders know when to step back, strip away what no longer serves, and come back sharper, clear, and more effective.

Leadership Reflection: What barnacles in my leadership are quietly slowing my team? 

Barnacles and Personal Growth

In life, drag often comes from habits that once served us but no longer do:

·      Constant phone distractions that impact our sleep, our effectiveness, and our relationships.

·      Skipping sleep, exercise, or healthy routines.

·      Carrying stress without processing it.

·      Procrastinating on what matters most.

·      Excessive times on social media or television.

The result? What once felt easy now feels like a grind. That isn't failure, it’s simply a signal that it’s time for a reset.

Personal Growth Reflection: What habit once served me, but now holds me back?

Barnacles and Organizations

Even the best organizations collect barnacles too:

·      Outdated processes no one questions. This is the way we’ve always done it.

·      Poorly kept filing systems, duplicated work, or mismanaged knowledge management systems.

·      Reports that don't get read; emails sent to everyone.

·      Bureaucracy that slows progress.

·      Meetings or initiatives that no longer serve their purpose.

Just like barnacles cost shipping companies millions, organizational drag cost companies energy, money, and morale. Healthy teams schedule “dry dock” periods to audit, reset, and streamline so that people can focus on what matters most.

Organizational Reflection: What outdated process or meeting do we need to scrape away to move faster?

Your Dry Dock Reset

The key is to intentionally remove barnacles. Here's a simple “3-R” framework to try this week:

1.        Reflect: Where do I feel slower or overburdened than I should?

2.        Reveal: What habits, processes, or routines are causing drag?

3.        Reset: What’s one small change I can make this week to reduce resistance?

The longer we allow barnacles in our life to build, the harder it is to move forward. Your energy, clarity, and creativity all take a hit. Momentum is built in more than effort alone; it’s found in less drag.

Conclusion: Sail Smoother with Stronger Leadership Efficiency

Barnacles don't mean you're broken. They mean you've been in motion. But the cost of letting them build unchecked is too great. Don't wait for burnout to be your dry dock. Take time to reset, remove what is holding you back, and move forward with greater efficiency, energy, and purpose.

When a ship comes out of dry dock it doesn’t just look better, it performs better. The same goes for leaders. With fewer barnacles you’ll:

·      Think sharper.

·      Lead with clearer purpose.

·      Be more present at home, work and in your relationships.

·      Feel more energized.

This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters most, with greater freedom and efficiency.

Application

Set aside 30 minutes for a personal “dry dock.”

·      Audit your schedule: What routine now feels stale or draining?

·      Examine your habits, patterns, or processes: What has become a barnacle?

·      Assess your leadership: What practices are slowing my team? 

·      Ask for help. Collaborate with your team, or work with a coach. What could I delegate, eliminate, or improve?

Then choose one barnacle to remove. It doesn't have to be everything at once.

Each small reset frees you to move faster, with less resistance, towards what matters most.