The Ebb And Flow Of Leadership - Knowing How To Ride The Tides Of Business

We are coming into the last few weeks of the year.

With many of the Leaders I work with, I've noticed something interesting.

When it comes to work, nearly all of them feel like they are experiencing no Issues.

The few that have something to speak about feel their Challenges are minor things.

In many ways, this is great, as one of the major pieces to my work with clients is helping them lower their Stress.

The lowered Stress prepares their Psychophysiology for Flow States.

The interesting thing though is that, usually, the end of the year tends to be a VERY frantic time for people.

Meeting End-of-Year Deadlines.

Balancing Work with the Holidays.

Preparing to start 2024 with a bang!

Most people are Horrifyingly Stressed over all these things that are happening.

But my clients aren't.

It's great, but there is also another EXTREME Danger that happens at this time of the year, ESPECIALLY when we don't feel the typical pressure.

The Danger?

Sitting on our Laurels.

It is very common that when we do find ourselves out of Dis-Stress, some people for the first time in years or decades, we simply sit and accept that.

The Danger however is that before we realize it, more challenges WILL come.

It is inevitable, Life always has a way of throwing curve-balls at us when we are least prepared.

When we sit on our Laurels, THAT is when we are least prepared.

So as Leaders, we can't afford to sit on our Laurels.

We can accept them, we can celebrate them (and should!), but we also need to continue to ride the Tides.

If we take the Tide as a metaphor - it is usually when we aren't paying attention that the Tidal Wave comes that capsizes us.

So, what are we to do as a Leader?

Understand the Tides.

Obviously, when things are bad, we know that we must solve the largest Problems first and Stabilize.

What do we do from that point though?

Prepare for the next Wave.

Whether we are prepared or not, more Waves will come.

So it is best to prepare for them when it is easiest.

Preparing for Bigger and Better things, and Improving what is around you is easiest during the Calm.

The ease allows for Changes to be made easier.

This is because Change is a form of Stress, and it can be a Eu-Stress (Good Stress) when done during the Calm.

However, Change becomes nearly impossible during the Storm, simply because All Stress Adds.

The Stress of the Storm Added to the Stress of Change becomes Dis-Stress.

In those situations, people focus on what they know, they fall back on what has worked in the past.

Psychologically, Survival is stronger than Change.

So it is an opportune time to create Change during the Calm.

You aren't fighting against Survival.

Plus, creating the right Changes can propel you into the next phase of Business Success.

The Reality is that the longer you stay in Business, the more difficult things will get.

The Tides grow Taller.

The beginning of EVERY year becomes tough because nearly EVERYONE is fighting to "Start Strong".

The beginning of the year becomes a Horrible Storm for Everyone...

Everyone that is, EXCEPT for the Smartest Leaders who started Preparing during the Calm.

It is THOSE Leaders who get a leg up, who get further out, and don't get caught in the Chaos of the Masses.

Now is NOT the time to relax in the Calm.

Now is NOT the time to sit on our Laurels.

What we've accomplished this year IS Amazing...

AND it is the time to start moving, NOW, to overcome the coming Storm.