The Becker Briefing - November 2022

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We’re heading into holiday season, and for many it is a time of rejoicing and celebrating with your loved ones. Unfortunately, that may not be true for everyone, and it’s important to acknowledge that. November is men’s mental health awareness, so I wanted to emphasize how one’s mental health can make an impact in your daily lifestyle. A big part of our day is spent at work, so I think it makes sense to sustain a strong mentality in the workplace. For decades there has been stigma surrounding the idea of men or women seeking help for their mental health. I hope that we can break these traditional stereotypes and build each other up. Let’s be there for each other, and more importantly, be there for yourself.

Becoming Tough in Tough Times

Like most things, there are good times and bad. We see ourselves facing challenges all the time, but it’s how we get through those challenges that shape us as people. I have been CEO of Becker Logistics for over 25 years now, and I try my best every day to be there for my team, the employees and see how to make their work a place that is fulfilling to each individual. However, the fact is that there are those days and times where things just don’t align. You may have a rough day or a rough patch at work, which is far from ideal but is normal.

There are ways to help you maneuver through such tough times specifically in the workplace. First, you can’t take things too seriously. Don’t allow tough issues and its effects in your temporary emotional status define who you are. Along with not taking it too seriously, don’t just ignore the issues. Brushing things under the rug or putting blame on others do not make things better in the long run.

Coping with your problems include managing your communication. Start with controlling your anger and impulse to behave unprofessionally. Stepping away to take a break can help you see things more clearly. When you are on the break, you’ll have the chance to identity what exactly the issue is. Try to see all the perspectives at play.

Take your problem as a learning opportunity. It may teach you how to do things better in the future. That one failure could allow you to be creative and improve your work life. The key is to remind yourself that you have lots of strength and to do a quick mental check of those strengths. By doing this, your perception of yourself will shift and become more balanced. Again, this will empower you and give you confidence that you’ll handle the situation you’re in effectively.

Fearless Leadership

Having recognition of your fear actually makes you stronger. There are a lot of responsibilities on the shoulders of a leader. And with that comes a lot of pressure for you to keep a company or organization to do well and stay well. You may say that you aren’t afraid of being a leader, and that may be true, but there could be parts of that leadership responsibility that could induce certain fears at some given points of time.

The most common fear is the fear if failing and feeling inadequate in leading your organization to success. This can hold you back, it can lower expectations and even decrease innovation. The fear of failure is related to the fear of making a mistake. Subsequently, you can fear being criticized. In this type of fear, you unfortunately focus too much on what others will think about you.

The first reason why you should face your fears is because fear limits your full potential. Unfortunately, being driven by fear prevents you from growing and progressing in life. Being a leader means you have the capability and the willingness to be a fighter. I say that a few tips and tactics can make a difference for you to control your fear.

First, simply take a breather. You as a leader must be on the go all the time and your mind is constantly at work, but sometimes you just need to take a break. Another way to manage your fear is to state daily affirmations to yourself and set focus reminders. Also, you should be mindful in surrounding yourself with other successful people that work hard and have a positive attitude. There isn’t a leader out there who doesn’t fear something. It may linger for a while, or it may disappear seamlessly, but the reality is that fear must be faced.

Mindset: Affirmative

If you look back and can recall, there are probably hundreds of times where your negative thoughts or insignificant feelings have sabotaged things for you. We don’t realize how these negative thoughts are negatively affecting us. The back-and-forth struggle can undermine our outlook on life, our daily mood, and even our self-confidence. Positive affirmations are these short and sweet declarations that are meant to be optimistic in nature. These affirmations are typically in the present tense and geared towards yourself. Here you want to be thinking about yourself, the journey you are on, and the destination that you are focusing on for your mind, body, and soul. The act is simple: you have a set of statements that you have carefully constructed to then repeat to yourself.

Remember to think about realistic plans that can be purposeful. If you have negative thoughts, then reverse them and use those as your positive affirmations. I want you to be writing these affirmations down somewhere because this helps you remember them better. You also want to be able to look back and see if you have made any progress. It will make you accountable. Some benefits of positive affirmations include alleviating stress in your life that weighs you down. They can broaden your thought process and help you understand various perspectives. Ultimately, when you’re able to see things more clearly, you won’t be so hard on yourself. Remember that positive affirmations are powerful enough to support us in facing difficult situations in healthier manners. If you are honest and straightforward with your affirmations, regardless of if they are work-related or personal, you will see major improvements in your self-esteem and in your general well-being.

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