What should you do if you find yourself the leader in the midst of turmoil?

There are difficulties in life, in the home, in the workplace, yes, even in society. These difficulties stretch us, and bring out both the worst and best in each of us. In an era of social media, blogging and with the prevalence of cell phone cameras, it is quite easy to play “Monday morning quarterback” and pass judgment and heap praise on leaders whose faces and stories go “viral”. But what do you do when (not if) you come upon tumultuous times in your organization / city / etc.?

In this post I would like look at three crucial components of leading through a crisis.

Continue reading “Leading in the midst of turmoil”

In the first part of this series on Insurmountable Circumstances, I talked about the all-important aspects of preparing yourself, your mindset, your character, etc. After you have begun this process (since we never are fully “ready”) then you must take the time to gather the right personnel and equipment.

Aside from the inner drive to actually take on the imposing mountain in front of you, perhaps the next most important thing that is needed to climb and summit a mountain is the proper gear. Having the right supplies can make the difference between life and death, achieving or failing. You and I know that having the right equipment is important, however sometimes what makes the mountain in front of you seem insurmountable is because you know you just don’t have the stuff needed to get to the top. So how do you gather what is needed?

The truth is that no one of us has all the supplies needed in our back pocket. We must go to the appropriate stores, spend some money, take some time and procure the needed items. Similarly in the workplace and in our leadership efforts, we must go to the appropriate people that have the equipment and expertise that we need and enlist and recruit them to join our expedition. The greatest accomplishments will take time, energy, money and grit, but if they are truly worth taking on, they are worth the investment. Taking the time necessary in advance is so important because if you aren’t personally ready, and if your team isn’t prepared and if you don’t have the right gear, you will have set yourself up to fail.

But, what about if you don’t know the right people? What if you don’t know where to start? (Is it possible, can we even admit, that as leaders sometimes we really don’t know? If you have taken the time to prepare yourself first, you should have already dealt with this.) In situations such as these we need to find others who have trekked the same path (or a similar one) as ours. We have to start asking questions. We have to admit that we need help. Recruiting a guide, or a coach or seasoned veteran is always a great way to learn and get ready to face difficult circumstances.

The right gear will vary from mountain to mountain but what is important is making a plan, and then being fully prepared (and actually expecting) to change the plan on the go. Prepare for where you want to go, gather the supplies necessary, set out and embark on the trip of a lifetime, but recognize that your trip will not ultimately look like the picture in your head, nor will the end result be everything you thought it would be. Instead the trip will be better because of the ups and downs. It will be more full and robust because of the things you didn’t see coming and didn’t plan for. But if you have the right inner attitude, the right supplies and the right team, then heading over that insurmountable obstacle and actually summiting is one of the greatest feelings in the world! And furthermore it will give you great encouragement, hope and perseverance for the next one.

So in conclusion, the next time you find yourself looking at a daunting and seemingly insurmountable obstacle, take the time to prepare yourself, gather the right people and right supplies, be willing to invest sufficient time, energy and money, find a guide, expect the unexpected and ultimately learn to enjoy the whole trip and the people who go there with you.

*Crossposted at http://www.leadershipvoices.com

I am in the Rocky Mountains this week. As I gaze up at the beautiful snow-capped mountains I am also struck by the fact that the peaks are rugged, sheer, and without the appropriate means: insurmountable.

So what do you do when you come up against something that is insurmountable? As a leader what approach do you take when a goal seems impossible to achieve or an obstacle seems impossible to overcome?

I would like to offer a few practical insights to guide you when (not if!) you come up against a sheer and seemingly impassable “mountain”. I will deal with this in two blog posts and will address two things to help you ascend and conquer those mountains. The two primary things that will help you overcome will be 1. Preparing yourself and 2. Gathering the right team and the proper equipment

So for this post let’s talk about the reality that to overcome insurmountable circumstances you must prepare yourself. 

Prepare Yourself

If we feel like we are facing insurmountable circumstances a few bullet points in a blog post certainly won’t be sufficient for us to all of a sudden feel like we have a grasp on something and can tackle it head on, right?! So what do you do when the obstacles seem too many, the ascent too steep, the cost too great?

In these situations I believe the answer lies not by initially addressing the “mountain” in front of you, but rather looking inward to the obstacles within. Sometimes it is our doubts and fears that are the greatest obstacles to be overcome. In our minds we find ourselves in a place where we believe that failure or at least “half-way” is all we can accomplish and as a result we begin giving up sometimes before we even get started.

So how do we change our thoughts, our perspective and even those nagging “feelings” that seem to derail us so quickly?

First, I would say that mountains seem insurmountable when we get overwhelmed by their sheer magnitude. So many times we must break down the expedition into smaller more manageable goals or action steps. You may not really believe you can make it to the top, but the question is: “can I make it to the tree across the clearing”? Breaking things into smaller more manageable steps helps us to develop inner perseverance and our character.

Second, things seem insurmountable when we think about past failures. When we replay in our minds other things that have gone wrong then we start telling ourselves that this too will be futile in light of all the other times we (and others) have failed. To overcome this we must realize that the past is truly gone and what is right in front of us now is where we must live. Ignore the nagging voice of doubt emanating from the past and instead grab hold of the possibility that “this might be the day that…”

Third, mountains seem impossible to overcome when we think about our own personal insufficiencies. The truth is that in and of ourselves we simply are not up to the task. This takes humility and an acceptance of the facts, but should not result in despair or despondency. Instead when we realize that we cannot do it alone it helps us to realize what we are gifted in and what we need others to help us with. When we all work within our strengths it improves our self-confidence and helps us succeed.

I hope these few steps will help you work on your inner thoughts, feelings and character and better prepare for you the next mountain you are going to climb. Tune in next time for the second part of this topic: recruiting the right personnel and gathering the right equipment.

What are your thoughts on insurmountable circumstances?

*Cross-posted at http://www.LeadershipVoices.com

 

Teams are all the rage today in business. Surely some of this comes from our love for sports and the beauty of seeing a group of people on the field or court, working together in unity and skillfully executing a play. But furthermore we love to talk about teams today because of the camaraderie represented, the importance of each team member knowing and executing their job and the synergy that occurs through mutual trust and proficient performance. But loving the concept of “team” and actually building a team and helping it realize its potential are completely different things. I would like to propose 4 sports-themed warnings to help you build a better team.

Going 5-wide just isn’t possible; Going 4 wide isn’t sustainable Continue reading “Teamwork Principles from Sports”

I want to take a moment to examine the heart, character, inner thoughts and motives of one who desires to lead. This is a helpful practice that we each ought to engage in on a regular basis. Without self-examination, accountability and attention to moral development even the best of leaders will slowly drift and become overtaken by the allure of power, pleasure, greed and self-satisfying behaviors.

At the heart of every leadership attitude and behavior should be the inherent desire to help our fellow humans. Leadership is not some kind of encapsulated behavior that gets things done without human interaction or personal influence. Instead leadership is with and for people. Continue reading “Motivation and the Greater Good”