By Debra Miller
Ken Chapman and Associates, Inc.
“These are times that try men’s souls”, penned Thomas Paine more than 200 years ago. It could have been written last week. Never in our lifetime has the need for leadership been more apparent. Greed and an absence of ethics from Wall Street to Main Street have created economic chaos unimaginable a short time ago. However, as a leader, there are simple success strategies you can employ to ensure your survival in this stressful stage.
1. Choose your attitude.
Every day you determine to a great extent the outcome of your efforts by choosing your attitude. You can’t control the ups and downs of each day, but you can choose your reaction to them. If you can remain positive and enthusiastic in the face of adversity and disappointment you will always distinguish yourself. A positive attitude results from having the self-confidence you can deal effectively with the situation whatever it might be. But one feeds on the other. A positive outlook and a belief that you CAN handle any situation will fuel your confidence.
If you seem anxious, negative and apprehensive, your employees will assume you know something they don’t. They will take their cue from what they see in you. You are always on stage.
2. Age Quod Agis
This Latin phrase translates to “Attend the business at hand.” I prefer a more liberal translation, “Work hard at what you do well”. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Most of us have been told all of our lives to work on our “opportunities for improvement”. With discipline and determination most of us can improve skills and gain new ones. However, there is now scientific evidence to support that working hard at what you already do well day in and day out will make the biggest difference in your personal and professional performance.
I don’t play the piano. I could devote all of my free time during the next year to learning the piano. At the end of the year, I’d probably be just the average first year piano student. However, I’m pretty good at coaching and developing people. If I spend my free time working hard at the skills to make me even better at working with people, then at the end of the year I have really “kicked it up a notch”.
What are you being paid to do by your organization? Chances are you’re already pretty good at that. Why not devote your efforts to becoming even better?
The great philosopher Dolly Parton said it another way: “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” In other words, attend the business at hand regardless of the distractions around you.
3. Play every day like it’s a 2-minute drill.
Did you watch the 2009 Fiesta Bowl between Texas and Ohio State? Texas got the ball with 2 minutes and 5 seconds to play in the 4th quarter, drove down the field and scored the game winning touchdown. It was a great moment for quarterback Colt McCoy and his team mates, but if they hadn’t played hard against a formidable opponent for every single play of the game, they wouldn’t have put themselves in a position to win. Every play every day counts. At the end of the day, when you ask yourself “Did I do everything I could every minute to effect the best outcome?” you want the answer to be a resounding YES. How would you answer that question for yesterday? If you give it everything you’ve got every minute of the day, you won’t waste time asking what could have been. You’ll know you did everything you could.
4. Don’t waste energy on things you can’t control.
Some things you can’t change in spite of your best efforts. Some things are truly beyond your ability to influence including many of the economic pressures we face today. While you have a significant role in the success of your company, you can’t shoulder the entire responsibility. There will be decisions made by your senior leadership that you can’t control and may not agree with.
Work to influence the outcomes you can, but recognize when it’s beyond your control and move on quickly. And don’t look back.
5. Listen, listen, listen.
Listen to your employees and their fears, to your management team and their expectations, to your colleagues and their needs for resources and solutions. Keep your finger on the pulse of the organization. Know the contours of the pond where you swim everyday and the needs of all of its inhabitants. Remain sensitive to the personal and professional pressures on everyone. People everywhere are dealing with pressures outside the workplace which may include a sick child or an aging parent.
When you’re talking with someone, make it your habit to look them in the eye and give them your full attention. That means ditch the Blackberry or other distractions.
6. Be solution oriented.
Your boss needs a solution-seeker; not a problem-identifier. I watched President-elect Barack Obama’s economic press conference last week where he spent the first 12-14 minutes outlining the problems. I know the problems; I think I’m living closer to them than he is at the moment. When someone focuses only on the problem, we have a tendency to stop listening to them.
Focus on ideas not complaints and never ever play the blame game. Some analysis may be warranted especially as it relates to avoiding a recurring problem, but it is usually best done afterwards. Don’t allow a lengthy analysis of the problem to hamstring your efforts to solve it.
Every problem is an opportunity in disguise. Some are more cleverly disguised than others.
7. Believe in the obligation to dissent.
Your organization deserves the full benefit of your experience, your knowledge and your acquired wisdom. You are being paid for what you know and for your ability to think through an issue. They won’t know what you THINK unless you are willing to SPEAK. You have a responsibility to speak up especially when what you know and what you think differs from the majority opinion.
Speak out. It results in more honest interactions and ultimately in better solutions to problems for your organization plus, it’s a great stress reliever for you. There is nothing worse than the regret you feel when you know you should have spoken. Refuse to travel the Road to Abilene; nobody benefits from groupthink. It can have disastrous consequences like the outcome of the space shuttle Challenger. There were scientists and engineers who knew about the o-ring problems, but didn’t feel they could voice their concerns because they were the minority opinion.
When you present an alternate view, do so respectfully. Learn to disagree agreeably. Once you take a position, stand firm and be responsible for the consequences.
8. Maintain your machine.
Each of us owns one of the most magnificent machines in all of creation, yet most of us maintain our cars better than we maintain our bodies. Eat healthy, exercise every day if possible, get enough sleep. Exercise is not only essential for heart health and for controlling some diseases, it is a great stress reliever. Further, physical fitness is a key to mental sharpness. Don’t underestimate the importance of adequate sleep. Ever hear someone brag, “I only need 4 hours of sleep?” Baloney! If they can function on four hours, they’d be dynamite with seven.
Remember your brain is a factory, not just a warehouse. Use technology tools to keep track of mundane details and reminders so you are freed to think strategically and creatively.
9. Support the people who support you.
There’s a group of people in your support network who you depend on every day. Most of us have a network of family, personal and professional friends, co-workers, etc., that we depend on to keep us grounded. Chances are you have a personal Board of Directors. You may not think of them that way, but it’s the group of personal advisors whose judgment you trust and whose counsel you seek when facing a tough issue. What do you do to support them in return?
There is never a wrong time to write a note of encouragement, congratulations or appreciation.
Reconnect with friends or business associates who have played a meaningful role in your personal life or career. People everywhere are dealing with tough issues and can benefit from knowing you care. Relationships, whether personal or professional, make all the difference; they will be the only thing you count as your lasting success at the end of your career or the end of your life.
Try this – write a note to someone every week. And that’s a hand-written note, not an email. Some weeks will present an obvious recipient; other weeks will give you an opportunity to look deeper into your relationships. At the end of the year, you will have made 52 touch points. Most of them will make somebody’s day. When they tell you what it meant to them, it will make yours.
10. Embrace laughter and have fun every day.
There is a treasure trove of humor in ordinary things that happen every day – if you look for it. Human beings are very funny creatures and you don’t have to be Larry the Cable Guy to see the humor.
A co-worker once told me he awoke every morning in a bad mood feeling anxious, depressed and negative. When he thought about the source of his angst, he decided it was due to watching the 10 o’clock news before retiring each evening. He switched to reruns of the Beverly Hillbillies. He says it worked wonders for him. Now, he goes to sleep laughing and wakes up happy. . . a much better way to start the day.
Nothing cleanses the mind like a good belly laugh. Laughter releases endorphins; your body’s natural pain relievers. Laughter has been proven to lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Laugh frequently and often. Laugh easily at yourself. Take your job seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously.
These are my 10 simple strategies for your personal success in stressful stages. Most of what you’ve just read is not new to you. You’ve seen it before in one form or another. They are simple little suggestions. But the little things you do each day add up to make a big difference for you and your organization.
The times we are experiencing are chaotic, frustrating, and downright scary. But it’s important to keep your perspective and realize this is just a ‘stage’; a period of time that will pass and be replaced by something else. You should also never lose sight of your sphere of influence and your potential impact on the daily events in your life and the lives of your employees. You can be the calm in the center of the storm.
For more information about Ken Chapman and Associates’ Leadership Development Programs, contact Derek Brown at dcbrown@leaderscode.com
