A leader must be even-keeled and poised during times of uncertainty.
It’s not easy being an effective leader. The good times in leadership can be inflating, while the bad times can be deflating. Tough decisions can be unpopular decisions, and in those instances, the role can feel incredibly lonely. Part of a leader’s duty is to accept the responsibility of constant criticism and questioning from those that have a differing opinion. When this inevitably happens, they must conduct themselves with grace and composure. It’s hard, especially when the decisions that you make impact the livelihood of others. And, when the well-oiled plan that were spend strategizing falls through, it can feel devastating. Insecurity, frustration, and self-doubt start to creep in. However, leaders don’t have time to wallow in self-pity. They can’t be overly sensitive or fall apart. Their team needs tougher leadership. That’s why, we are going to outline the five proven ways to become an unfazed leader.
- Improve Self-Talk
- Identify Areas of Gratitude
- Focus on the Facts
- Stay Resilient
- Choose the Right Battles
Improve Self-Talk
As a leader, there will be a running dialogue that is influenced by subconscious thoughts, beliefs, questions, and ideas. This self-talk can be both positive and negative. When a day is going well, it’s easier to posture thoughts, than when it feels as though an entire plan caught fire. In those bad times when negative self-talk becomes overbearing, identify which category of thinking is generally occurring: catastrophizing, magnifying, personalizing, polarizing.
- Catastrophizing: Expecting the absolute worst from situations. Ignoring logic and reason.
- Magnifying: Focusing on the negative aspects of a situation. Blocking out the positives.
- Personalizing: Blaming yourself for the situation.
- Polarizing: Everything is one or the other. There is no in-between or middle ground.
Identifying which negative self-talk helps determine the best strategy for flipping them into a positive line of thought instead. It takes practice and won’t happen instantly, but over time it can be shifted into a positive way of thinking. Try to examine when certain scenarios increase this negative self-talk. It’ll make it easier to anticipate and mentally prepare. Check-in with feelings. During these moments, turn a negative into a positive, and redirect thoughts by having small reminders around the office or house. Even try to find humor to relieve the stress or tension of the situation, this can be part of connecting with and being surrounded by positive people.
Identify Areas of Gratitude
What do most people think of which gratitude? What they are thankful for, whether it be family, health, or wealth, collectively. Another way to be grateful for life is by practicing gratefulness when things don’t go exactly as planned. It’s reaching deeply and appreciating the hard times along with the good times. Why- because as a strong leader, it’s the challenges that create the most growth and development. In turn, making the obstacles easier to overcome in the future. Being grateful can help us cope with traumatic events, regulate negative emotions, and improve our well-being. Consequently, this concept of gratitude helps cultivate our emotional resources and keeps us resilient. This isn’t to say that a good leader shouldn’t be appreciating the happiness in their life. Quite the opposite, actually. It’s just recognizing that we don’t have to completely remove ourselves from the trials, and instead acknowledge that tough times can be an asset.
Focus on the Facts
There are going to be moments when people give unpleasant feedback. This can be useful. Take note. It doesn’t mean that every criticism is accurate, they’re opinion-based. But, try to find out the depth behind the feedback. As a leader, handle the criticism with poise when hearing things from external sources. Look for one thing: the facts. Not your feelings, not their feelings, just the cold hard facts. Find supporting information for what their experience is, and do the same to recalibrate. Instead of trying to defend yourself, which stems from fear, compartmentalize the feedback and analyze what is shared. From this, lessons can be learned and action can be taken.
Stay Resilient
People understand that in order to be effective and respected is to have a level of determination and resiliency. To push through towards a vision even under uncertainty. Consider the pandemic. For many companies, it was challenging. Leaders needed to: decide who to hire remotely and who to fire locally; how to keep employees safe if they were going to be on-premises; whether to cut overhead, renegotiate leases, or keep a hybrid model; essentially, strategize ways to protect the organization’s long-term health. The determination, scenario planning, and resourcefulness allowed leaders to navigate through an economically devastating event.
Choose the Right Battles
When is enough, enough? When does a leader realize that something isn’t working? Sure, they can be resilient, but if someone is constantly trying to cut through bricks with feathers, there might be another way. That persistence, drive, and determination can be a detriment if gone unchecked. Letting go isn’t easy, especially after putting in the time and perspiration. Here’s the thing, if a leader (with a solid plan in place) improved and trusts their inner dialogue, practices gratitude in negative instances, focuses on the facts, and stayed resilient, it may be time to assess the situation. Potentially, other adjustments need to be made. People tend to feel that they are right, especially when expressing their opinions. Using force isn’t the way. The toughest leaders know how and when to choose their battles.