Take a Cue From WW2: Keep Calm and Carry On

I've lost count of how many conversations I've had in recent days with people who have been swept up in the anxious rhetoric that is consuming our airwaves (at least here in the USA). I've even heard of people needing to take "time out" from the important things they need to do to handle their overwhelm.

Such are the times.

And yet, in moments like this, it helps to step back and view the broader arc of history, reminding ourselves that such times are not unprecedented. Today, I write to help you reframe this moment by looking at it through that larger lens—starting with a story from the Second World War.

In the early days of WWII, as Britain braced for the hardships of war, the government printed a series of posters to boost morale. The first read:

YOUR COURAGE

YOUR CHEERFULNESS

YOUR RESOLUTION

WILL BRING US VICTORY

Displayed across Britain, this message rallied people with a call for courage and unity. Soon after, a second poster appeared:

FREEDOM IS IN PERIL

DEFEND IT

WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT

These words became a constant reminder in railway stations, shops, cafes, pubs, and communities to keep faith in dark times. A third poster was printed by the millions, meant to be used only in the direst crisis, like a German ground invasion of Great Britain. This final poster simply said:

KEEP

CALM

AND

CARRY ON

This poster lay forgotten in storage for decades until a bookstore owner in England found a copy tucked in a box of old books nearly 60 years later. He framed it, hung it on his wall, and as you may know, that simple maxim caught on—big time. Chances are you’ve seen it on a coffee mug or birthday card or apron. It speaks to the truth that in challenging moments, we often need to be reminded to walk the path of faith over fear, courage over comfort and to “keep calm and carry on.”

Management experts Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen studied over 20,000 companies to find out: Why, in uncertain times, do some companies thrive while others struggle? Was it smarter strategies, better technology, sheer luck? Nope. They found that exceptional leaders weren’t necessarily more intelligent, visionary, or charismatic. What set them apart was their ability to demonstrate “self-control in an out-of-control world.”

?There’s a lesson in this for all of us:?

CONTROL

THE

CONTROLLABLES

?While we can’t control election outcomes, other people’s actions, inflation rates, or the weather, we can control who we will be in the midst of it all. We can take full responsibility for how we respond to our circumstances and how we spend our time and energy. For instance, you can:

• Reach out to wise people for support and guidance
• Make a simple plan for the day ahead, prioritizing the 'vital few' that matter above all others.
• Set aside time to release stress through exercise or any activity that helps reset you to your best self.
• Take five minutes right now to simply breath. Slowly. Deeply. Deliberately.

The reality is, there will always be circumstances beyond your control that you wouldn’t have chosen. This isn’t me being negative. This is life. And the world doesn’t have to line up just the way you want in order for you to thrive in your life. Rather, living powerfully means refusing to let the unwanted circumstances in your life hold power over you.

In this polarising moment in time, when our airwaves are awash with anxious rhetoric and accusations, if we're not intentional, we can easily become swept up into the fear and fray. Yet as I recently wrote in Forbes, the best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.

So, be deliberate in how you show up. Control your controllables. Prioritize your “To Be” list over your “To Do” list—leading yourself with the qualities you wish to see more of in others, especially when things feel chaotic.?Or to put more plainly:

Keep calm and carry on.

Margie

Dr Margie Warrell is a leadership advisor, keyote speaker, and author who emboldens braver leaders for a better world. She's also a Senior Partner at the CEO Institute at Korn Ferry and about to release her sixth book The Courage Gap. Click the image below to order your copy.