Don’t give up on yourself.

/

It’s a tough time to be a leader.  Pressure is coming at you from all angles.  You’re dealing with a highly complex communication environment, a workforce that’s hard to keep motivated and satisfied, a competitive landscape that is changing by the minute, and insatiable investor demands for immediate and ever-increasing returns.  No doubt, it can be daunting.

You might be thinking, maybe I’m not the right person for this job.  In fact, you’d be surprised how many leaders have dark moments of self-doubt.  As a leader, you know you must project confidence and conviction so you can inspire them in others.  But still, that nagging fear creeps into your psyche every now and then.

Before you throw in the towel, remember that you are in this position for a reason, and that people are counting on you to persevere in the tough times.  Your grit will set an example for others to follow.  Stay true to your deepest beliefs and the course you have set.  And, if you feel you need additional support, seek the advice of people you respect and consider engaging a coach.

You might be thinking, “No one taught me how to do this!”  And if you’re in the majority, you’re right.  But that doesn’t mean you don’t have the right stuff to succeed as a leader.

Read More

Find Your Story

/

Human beings relate to stories.  That’s a fact, and it dates back to the days of cavemen.  Before we had any formal means to communicate, stories were used to teach, pass down family heritage and motivate others to act.  Even ancient hieroglyphics told stories!

In business and in life, storytelling is a powerful tool to connect with people.  We each have our own unique life experience, our own unique stories. The key is to mine them, practice them, and use them to convey important messages, deepen relationships and hold an audience.  There’s nothing like a good story to break up the monotony of a traditional presentation that’s loaded with data.  It brings your interaction to a deeper human level, where others view as a real person, not just a presenter, an executive or whatever label they’ve given you.

We can also tell the stories of others.  The news is a great source of interesting stories of heroism, overcoming challenges, teamwork and other themes that can inspire and engage others.

So what’s your story?  Today, think about the experiences you’ve had that can become part of your communication arsenal!

Read More

Recognize Your Negative Self-Talk

/

Research suggests that the average person has about 50,000 thoughts per day. Each thought can trigger a chemical reaction in your body, creating a strong correlation between what you think and how you feel. 

Of all the thoughts we have, those that are most influential are the ones we create ourselves. We each have an internal voice that sends us messages, day in and day out, affecting our perception of things. Our thoughts "talk" to us, often distorting the truth about ourselves and the situations we find ourselves in. Examples of negative self-talk are, I always mess up; I'm not good at this; I don't fit in; Everyone's out to get me, and so forth. Negative self-talk can be debilitating and send you into a downward emotional spiral.

Learn to recognize and take control of your negative self-talk. Pay attention to thoughts that produce strong negative emotion. Challenge the veracity of those thoughts. Are you being categorical ("I always..." "I never..") versus situation-specific? Are you judging yourself too harshly? ("I am an idiot.") Are you playing the blame game? ("They're making me behave this way.") 

When you get clear on your negative self-talk, you free yourself to re-program some of the perceptions that could be standing between you and success. 

Read More

Don’t Let Emotion Drive Your Actions

/

In an environment of intense speed, instant communication and high stress, it's easy to react to situations emotionally and “in the moment” instead of taking the time to think them through and rein in emotions that might be spinning out of control and clouding your judgment. ‎Sometimes situations that require our patience can feel so infuriating, uncomfortable or inconvenient that we jump into action just to alleviate our internal turmoil or get it off our plate. In this era of electronic communication, people have come to expect instant responses.  In an emotionally-charged situation, don’t take the bait. More often than not, giving yourself that extra day, week or month to calm down and diagnose a situation before moving forward is all you need to stay in control, sort out what's really happening and determine the best response to the situation.

Giving yourself the gift of a pause can help you gain clarity and perspective and take control of emotions that could lead you in the wrong direction if you were to let them dictate your actions and decisions. Today, consider how you can wait for the dust to settle before you make your move.  

Read More

Choose Your Confidantes‎ Wisely

/

As leaders, it's important that we have trusted confidantes --‎ people we can talk to about our struggles and frustrations, and with whom we can brainstorm ideas and strategies. 

But we must choose well. A poorly-selected confidante can wreak havoc on our perceptions and ultimate success as leaders. 

When a difficult scenario arises, seek out someone you trust who is not personally affected by your situation. This will help ensure that they aren't working a personal agenda while they give you advice and counsel. Remember that an advisor's perspective can be tainted by their own needs, wants and feelings. ‎Similarly, avoid "yes men" who you know will agree with you. Although it feels good in the moment, it prevents you from gaining a balanced and reasoned perspective and seeing the whole picture. 

Remember, the quality of the input you receive impacts your perceptions, actions and outcomes. Today, think about the people you've brought into your inner circle. Ask yourself, "do they have a vested interest in my situation which could affect their objectivity? Have they shown a pattern of always agreeing with me?" 

Read More