Shift Your Thinking. Become A CEO-Chief Emotions Officer

Success is not about incremental improvements.Success is about bold, fundamental differences.

With natural disasters like Harvey and IRMA our focus is often taken from business 'speed bumps' to real world devastation, loss of property, worse loss of life. It is sobering to think that we have no control over Mother Nature and yet deny the effects we have created through ignoring global warming.

As I watched billions of dollars in losses I reflected on how petty we all become when we face our own business issues. In one moment homes and businesses were destroyed, animals abandoned, electric power lost, and we were helpless. Yet we go back to our mundane discussions about the Real Housewives, The Kardashians, and even Trump.

Business goes on in spite of the anniversary of 9-11, Apple introduction of a $1000 phone, Hillary Clinton's launch of a new book, and Steve Bannen going on the offensive. It is perhaps an even bolder move to air a beauty pageant as the country is in a state of turmoil while facing Hurricane Harvey and Irma yet we continued to discuss our predictions for the winner of America's Got Talent,

ABC News' Rick Klein made this observation 

"It took a  monster storm – two of them, actually – to calm the waters churned by  President Trump. Trump emerges from this stretch looking  more traditional as a president  than at any point this year. He's coordinating federal disaster response, cutting deals with legislative leaders and moving back from the brink of shutdown and default showdowns. (He even managed not to tweet his thoughts on  Hillary Clinton's return to the interview circuit, at least for now.) Trump is again demonstrating the speed with which perceptions change, inside the news cycles he knows so well. But before anyone mistakes this moment of relative normalcy for any kind of permanency or predictability,  don't miss the signs suggesting that  Trumpism can't even be controlled by Trump himself."

To become a CEO, think about the things you CAN control you have to overcome Ignorance ? Confusion ? Apathy ? Skepticism ? Resistance.

I have often reminded my clients that ALL sales situations degenerate to price in the absence of a value interpreter. Today, I would like to apply that same process to create a greater awareness for what really matters...our future. Let's stop majoring in minor things. Focus on what we can do to save our world by becoming a valued interpreter for our planet. Stop animal trafficking. Stop complaining about Chicago soda pop taxes. Stop building walls and build bridges instead.

These past few days I, like most of you, was reminded that Nature is a Mother. And if we are going to attempt to please her we must ensure that we 'shift' our thinking. We are not omnipotent. Life can be distilled down to what we don’t know and what we can’t control. Make a commitment to become the best CEO you know. Guide others. And make changes that will have a positive impact.

If we know that the combustible product of uncertainty and powerlessness creates anxiety, we can create what I call an Anxiety Balance Sheet to turn this around. As you read this may I suggest you...

1.Create four columns on a piece of paper.

2. Think of something that's making you anxious.

3. Head the first column: “What do I know?” about this issue.

4. Head the second column: “What don’t I know?”

5. Head the third column: “What can I influence?”

6. Head the fourth column: “What Can’t I Influence?”

7. Enter at least one item per column (you may find half-dozen candidates for some).

About 80 percent of people I’ve worked through this with are surprised that they have more items listed in Columns 1 and 3 (the “good” columns) than they do in Columns 2 and 4. The reality is that when something is making us anxious, we tend to fixate on those elements that feel mysterious (what we don’t know) or uncontrollable (what we can’t influence). So, there’s some liberation in just outlining what’s making you crazy and realizing that there may be many balancing positives to those issues that are vexing you.

Now, review the items in Column 2 (what you don’t know). Is there someone you trust who can help you gather information that will move this item from Column 2 to Column 1? Maybe you can do a Google search or talk with your boss or spouse.

Look at Column 4 and ask yourself, “Am I completely powerless about the items on this list?” I’ve found that having a friend sit with me can sometimes help me uncover ways to move items from Column 4 to Column 3.

Just the act of unpacking your anxiety bag and knowing what’s inside can have a profound effect on reducing your fear of the future.The more the external world becomes chaotic, the more we rely upon internal logic.

Create insanely great experiences. The Apple Store has become the world’s best retailer by introducing simple innovations. For example, there are no cashiers in an Apple store. There are experts, consultants, even geniuses, but no cashiers. Why? Because Apple is not in the business of moving boxes; they are in the business of enriching lives. Big difference. Take a byte from Apple. Enrich the lives around you.

A CEO mindset requires that you change your focus from a task-based perspective to a process-based perspective. A task-based perspective treats each client as a one-time event and emphasizes the immediate conclusion of the clients’ immediate need.

The process-based perspective is an integrated perspective that takes into account the contributions of all departments and the innovations each may be able to contribute, as well as the current and future markets that exist outside the organization.

Forward-looking leaders must focus their energies on the entire process, looking beyond the immediate outcome of all potential future scenarios. Each memorialization builds on the previous one and makes choices easier by building relationships over time. Make a commitment to apply that same logic to how you can contribute to the reduction of- our dependence on fossil fuels- the killing of so many endangered species- the destruction of our rain forests and coral reefs.

The world around us changing at a much faster pace. You can benefit from change by being a part of it…not apart from it. The CEOs of today must make changes or there will be no need for CEOs tomorrow.

§ Talk about benefits NOT changes!

§ Create change, not react to it.

§ Build on your strengths and forget about any weakness.

§ Logic makes people think. Emotion makes them act.

The world is accepting change. Are You? It’s time to ‘shift’ your thinking as we reflect on the 'shifts that hit us.'

In the Miss American Pagent, Miss Florida was concerned for everyone in her home state, she also insisted that “No matter what happens, we are strong and we can do it; we can get through anything together.”