Finding Your Calm in The Eye of This Storm

Eye of the storm: the calm region at the centre of a storm or hurricane.

John was as shocked to hear the news as anyone else was. His business was doing very well, he was one year into implementing a new growth strategy that would 5X his business within three years, and he was on target too! Who could have ever foreseen a global pandemic like this. “Anyone that tells you they were prepared for this is lying” said John. “Nothing prepares you for this”, he said. 

He slept only four hours on Sunday night, on Monday morning he was facilitating his leadership teams 'crises response' meeting. The Zoom meeting room was different but it worked and they got on with it. John shared his thinking with his team, how they should react, how they would need to divert from the course they were on but not change their purpose, that would always remain. The purpose is what keeps John and his team so focused on a continuous basis, it’s what fuels the engine every time, and especially at a time of crises like this. The time John was not sleeping the night before was not worry or anxiety, he was excited thinking about the opportunities this situation presented and what his business could do with the resources they had.

The next section of the meeting was spent discussing and listening to each other, listening to each others views on how the future might unfold, how long and in what way restrictions would be in place and how all this could possibly impact their sector and specifically their business. Then they started to brainstorm ideas in response to the various scenarios. This concluded with a scenario plan with three general possibilities and responses for each. They also created a thirty day ‘response plan’ which included a communication strategy, marketing plan, networking plan, financial funding plan, etc.

This team were operating in a calm and constructive way whilst at the same time other business leadership teams were putting their energy into worrying about what they couldn’t do or how this situation was going to negatively impact them, often fuelled by focusing on the storm of media information thinking the better informed I am I will then be able to predict how this is going to unfold. Often resulting in 'victim' mode.

Darren is John's financial controller. Darren sights John as the main calming influence on the team. “He never blames anyone” says Darren. He just focuses on the facts, gives everyone an opportunity to speak and listens really well, he then makes a call, and nine times out of ten people accept his decision.

The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.

John wasn't always calm, he didn't always make the best decisions and he certainly didn't always perceive himself as a leader.

The first Power of Seven (Po7) peer group I established (accidentally I might add!) was called 'Leaders in Galway'. Why? because they were seven leaders all based in county Galway! At our second or third meeting in the Clayton hotel in Galway the guys were arriving a bit late. When I asked was there a problem some of them said they had trouble finding the room, they said the girl at reception didn't know which room you were in (they had asked where was Barry Walsh). I asked if they had seen the name of the group on the legend board in reception, i.e. Leaders in Galway. They asked why I had given that name to the group! I then went on to ask them if they considered themselves as leaders. Only two of the seven did. The others described themselves as business owners, entrepreneurs, problem solvers, etc. I went on to explain what I was all about, i.e. helping people to develop themselves as leaders, why? the world needs better leadership!

Po7 has been life changing, learning from one another and being clear on what's important in life: self, family and your work. Highly recommended (Diarmuid).

Two years later a similar discussion took place, six out of the seven perceived themselves as leaders first and foremost. For me this is a critical first step. If you don't perceive yourself as a leader then how will you become a great leader? John was one of those six. He has told me that was the beginning of his journey to today being able to find the calm in this storm.

• The Stockdale Paradox is a concept that was popularized by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great.
• It was named after James Stockdale, former vice presidential candidate, naval officer and Vietnam prisoner of war.
• The main gist of the idea is that you need to balance realism with optimism.
• In the most simplest explanation of this paradox, it's the idea of hoping for the best, but acknowledging and preparing for the worst.

John lives the Stockdale Paradox. So too do most Po7 members. It's influenced largely by the objectivity of their peers. Having six peers (and me!) listen to your most critical challenges with a balance of support as well as challenge gives you that perfect paradoxical position of realism with optimism.

Can't recommend what Po7 does highly enough. I count my group as close friends and confidantes and Barry your energy and skills at what you do is inspiring. (Conor)

Check out here what Robin Sharma has to say (5.56 - 8.50) about the benefits of a peer group:

"The number one way to improve your behaviour is to surround yourself with a peer group or social circle of people who are also playing at the level you want to be at"

What am I noticing about Po7 members in the current time?

I'm delightfully impressed across the board of all my peer groups who now meet online every month for 2.5 hours. (Thankfully I had honed my online model a couple of years ago when I established Po7 Huddles (online version of Power of Seven)). At the beginning of our sessions which has a very carefully designed framework that allows you to get most value from your peers. We provide a preprepared 'Update' since the last meeting. This update is focused (as are all our conversations) on three dimensions:

1. Me,
2. My Family, and
3. My business.

The guys are asked to start with a satisfaction score on each of these three success dimensions. What I'm noticing is that although many of them are facing huge challenges in their businesses they are scoring themselves on average between 7-9 across the board. I can only put this down to one thing and that's the work they have been doing on themselves and the business and their family in their Po7 groups. Not only do I think this, they are telling me this. If I could quote what they are saying collectively (if that's possible!) then it would be this:

My business may be in crises, but I’m ok.

What's Next?

The eye of the hurricane is dangerous because inexperienced people may suppose that the storm has departed when in fact it will resume at full force as soon as the storm's eye passes by and its eye wall (which immediately surrounds the eye and contains the hurricane's strongest winds).

My own view is that we are in the honeymoon period of this pandemic. That's not pessimism but what I believe to be realism (but we'll get through it - the Stockdale Paradox!) However, my question is 'how' will you get through it? How will you get through the consequences of our economy being stalled for two to three months and thereafter in a curtailed way until we find a vaccine? What I do know is that those who engage in the following will be best placed.

• Face the brutal facts, and prepare for them. Stay positive 'this too shall pass'
• Scenario plan for 12-24 months
• Ensure your team is working at it's optimum, invest the time to make this happen
• Manage your exposure to media
• Have constructive 'self talk'
• Plan your week
• Work on top three priorities before anything else each day
• Exercise nearly every day (short & frequent is the key)
• Look after your mind (meditate every day, again short & frequent)
• Develop your mindset (educate & practice)
• Have powerful conversations (the secret ingredient is having a powerful question to explore together)
• Work on a 'CLARITY Roadmap for You' - Vision, purpose, values, roles & goals
• Have annual & quarterly goals
• Have accountability (a coach, or Power of Seven (seven coaches at once))
• Get enough sleep
• Invest time in important/loving relationships
• Have down time (re-creation time), where you're not doing but being
• Etc, etc

At Power of Seven we engage in all of the above and more. Our focus is to learn and practice the best methods available to overcome challenges in business and life and thereby improve our satisfaction scores for Me, My family and My Business. That's being successful!

Here are a few more comments posted on LinkedIn recently by Po7 members:

As a Po7 member myself I can really recommend this. The group has really helped in creating clarity on what really matters in business, and in life and I have found it to be hugely beneficial (Alan). 

Succeeding in business is all about surrounding yourself with the right team. Having a group of fellow trusted entrepreneurs and business owners is a great way to get outside perspective and industry advice. I highly recommend Barry’s Power of Seven Group. This is my 3rd year a member, and with all the cutbacks taking place - this was one outgoing I refused to pull back on. (Garry)

If you feel like you are making business decisions in a vacuum, and are looking for some different perspectives on your challenges, I would recommend taking a look at what Barry Walsh is offering here. I'm quite new to the Power of Seven, however the impact on my critical thinking has already been huge. It's like no other coaching / peer group I have ever been involved in. Be careful though, you just might change your paradigm! (Enda)

I'd love to get your comments on anything you've read/heard. Please drop a comment below and like or share?

Contact me ([email protected]) for an invitation to a Free webinar next week where you can meet existing Po7 members and hear first hand what it's like to be in a group. You will also have a chance to ask them questions.

Contact me ([email protected]) if you'd like a one page overview of how Po7 groups work and how you can join one?

Barry Walsh: Founder of the Power of Seven providing a personal advisory board of peers for ambitious business owners . 20 years experience in helping business owners and their teams develop winning strategies for business growth. Barry’s facilitation style creates a space for shared learning that leads to learning and action. www.po7.ie

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