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I grew up in Colorado, which means I really enjoy the variety of seasons that we have. We’re now moving from the heat of summer into a more subdued, introverted time. I look forward to seeing snow-capped peaks again.
It turns out that everything goes through seasons: jobs, projects, relationships, even lifetimes. And even though we often strive for stability, changes are good too.
I’m thinking about each of my clients, who are each going through their own version of change. Many times it’s not at all clear what the next step is going to look like. That’s when our conversation can be extremely valuable.
Read the rest of this entry »Why is it so hard to get something new started?
I think this picture gives us a clue: Because the challenges ahead seem insurmountable and scary.
I might make a mistake. They might think I’m a fool. I don’t know exactly where I’m going. I don’t know what the best first step is.
Read the rest of this entry »Last week I talked about three views of resilience. But that opens up the very uncomfortable question of whether “normal” even exists.
It’s easy to get depressed about all the chaos and uncertainty which seems to surround us. I feel that way myself sometimes.
But then I realize that it’s just requiring me to develop a new set of skills. And even though I’ve never been a surfer, I like to think of it as “surfing through the changes.” I like the image because, to me, waves seem very unpredictable and abounding in chaos.
Read the rest of this entry »A big part of your role as a leader is to help those who aren’t yet as confident as you claim you are. The problem is that we’re all putting on a bit of a false front, acting more sure of ourselves than we actually feel.
As the boss, you don’t want to look foolish in front of your team. You’ve got this.
The employees or volunteers also want to look good in front of their boss and co-workers. But the fact is that we all have our moments of doubt. Even if we don’t show them to others.
Read the rest of this entry »You’re the boss, so you have all the answers. Right? Yeah, not so much.
I sure try to show confidence in my leadership roles, but that only works up to a point. Inside, I feel a variety of emotions, both positive and negative. Occasionally even cluelessness.
You know what? The people I’m with know that too. They know that we’re all just doing the best we can – hopefully succeeding more than failing.
So if we’re all just making it up as we go along, why do we seek out confidence? Because it’s about our desire for control and stability. If I don’t feel in control, then I’ll seek out others who look like they are. Even though I know that’s partially an illusion.
How should leaders deal with this? The key is honesty.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could get to the point where you’re honest with your people? Where you could say that you’re proceeding on the basis of partial data and educated guesses?
Yes, that opens up vulnerability. But it also creates trust that you’re telling people the real story, not hiding information.
What’s the next step you want to take on showing that kind of honesty?
It’s now becoming a little easier to be optimistic about the future of my business and those of my clients. But, for me, optimism has always been an essential tool for success.
Sometimes optimism is just about putting on a good face, kind of a “fake it ‘til you make it” affair. But I strive for something deeper than that.
There are three reasons I find this important:
Read the rest of this entry »In uncertain times, we rely on confidence from others around us. We look to political, community, and business leaders to provide direction.
But more than being told what to do, we want to know why. Part of that is assigning blame for something out of our control, but that’s only the negative side of it.
On the good side, we’re looking for a reason to get out of the fight-or-flight response. Our higher selves want to move forward with purpose and intention.
Read the rest of this entry »Some industries are getting more nervous.
Tariffs. Wars. Interest rates. Softer consumer confidence.
The question is what you choose to do with all this swirling information. Because it’s always something. If you want a reason to avoid committing to a decision, there’s always something you can blame it on.
Read the rest of this entry »I can get stuck in planning things, and perhaps you can as well. It’s a way to attempt to control risk.
It builds your confidence to make a decision and start moving. At least you hope it does.But here’s the secret: The confidence actually comes after achieving something. Even if you can envision something, it’s not really confidence. It’s hope.
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There are times when your business is facing the truly big choices.
M&A (mergers & acquisitions) or taking your company public are the events that bring lots of press attention, but for a smaller company there are many more modest examples:
- Hiring your first employee
- Putting a management layer in for the first time
- Retiring from your business
- Expanding from single-location to multiple-location
The Values-Based Business 