How to Own Your Power- A Leadership Lesson From Buffaloes

In Colorado, buffalo and cows live relatively close together because of the unique topography. The Rocky Mountains are in the middle, and the western part of the state and vast plains lie in the east.

When a storm rolls in from the west, cows that are grazing run east, with the storm. Cows can run, but not that fast. So, they don’t outrun the bad weather at all. They get stuck in it and maximize the pain, suffering, and agitation of the very thing they are trying to avoid.

While animal researchers report that cows are quite intelligent and have excellent problem-solving skills, they apparently haven’t solved dealing with storms more effectively- yet!

Humans are smart too. Yet we do things like continue to eat food that isn’t good for us, procrastinate, avoid difficult conversations, hold grudges, shirk responsibility, and make excuses-thereby prolonging pain, aggravation, stress, and anxiety.

Smart leaders have learned that delaying the difficult decision, or the tough conversation, or postponing what really needs to be done, only makes things worse. What they do is similar to buffalo behavior.

When a storm comes over the mountains, buffaloes actually charge directly into and through the storm, and by so doing, minimize the amount of time they spend suffering.

We all have to deal with things that are out of our control. Laws and regulations change. Clients say no, and competitors come up with a new product. People change their minds. How we respond to these challenges is the issue.

Our response begins with how we see the situation. Do we see it as a challenge, or do we see it as a burden, an obstacle, something being put in our way and/or something being done to us?

Seeing an obstacle as a challenge creates ownership, empowerment, and responsibility, and it puts us in a position of power: we get to choose our response. Believing an obstacle as something being done to us puts us in a position to blame others and avoid responsibility. We wind up being powerless because we think we can’t do anything about the situation.

For example, if I’m late for a meeting, I can focus on external factors: “My assistant always schedules me in back-to-back meetings with not enough transit time,” or I can focus on the part I played: “I didn’t consider the different locations of these meetings when I asked she/he to set them up.”

One perspective focuses on what someone else did that I cannot directly control. The other focuses on what I did, my lack of attention, over which I do have control. By owning my contribution to the situation, I can learn and see what I can do to produce a better result in the future. I step into my power. I choose my response. I own my stuff, and I encourage others to own theirs. I accept my own imperfection, and I learn for the future.

The questions to ask yourself when you face a tough situation are:

• What challenge am I facing?
• How might I have contributed (through my action or inaction)to this situation?
• What can I do to respond effectively and achieve what I want?
• How can I respond with my highest values?

You are running away from the storm if you find yourself thinking like this:

• What is being done to me?
• They should not have done this.
• They are wrong and should know better.
• There is nothing I can do now.

It takes courage to face a storm, initiate a difficult conversation, say no to something, not in your best interest, exit a toxic relationship, admit you were wrong, acknowledge you don’t really know, really listen to someone you disagree with and/or stop behaving out of alignment with your values.

When the next challenge appears, how will you respond?

Don Johnson is an executive consultant, mindfulness warrior, Insights distributor, and a coach at Evolution- a boutique coaching and culture firm that supports iconic, world enriching companies. https://www.evolution.team/

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