What are you running from?

Last week, my spouse and I attended a friend's wedding. Someone in our group asked?if anyone had ever been chased by a wild animal??I recounted two experiences. The first was being chased by a?cassowary?through a rain forest in Australia (these are big, ugly birds), and the second was a skunk that came at me from across my patio deck. I “escaped” both encounters, but what I remember is how my primal drive for safety took over, and my decisions and actions were reflexive and driven by fear.

In leadership, unfortunately, our mindsets and?many of our decisions are driven by deep insecurities or fears of the unknown consequences.?I speak with many leaders that are insecure about their own capabilities. Whether they don’t have a college degree, are an immigrant or an underrepresented minority, or they work with accomplished professionals with years of experience and multiple prefixes or suffixes in their title, these leaders are susceptible to anxiety and uncertainty. You might feel you don’t have the skills or pedigree necessary to engage as an equal, or you?fear the conflict or rejection by someone that controls the resources you need for your organization or team.?These insecurities can be crippling and cause leaders to make poor choices or fail to engage the people necessary to achieve the best outcome.

Fleeing to safety?may be a good thing when you’re being chased by a cassowary or a skunk, but it?can be a significant liability for a leader and their team.?Leaders that are driven by insecurities and fears will avoid unpleasant encounters, make suboptimal decisions, and fail to engage the necessary stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations.?Leaders must be determined in their mission and purpose as a leader,?they must be clear-headed about the risks they’ll encounter and the benefits to be achieved, and they must be acutely self-aware of their strengths and weaknesses and in control of their emotions, always. They must be prepared act boldly and objectively to be successful.

Leaders that want to perform at their best will?seek to learn about themselves and their environment and continuously improve their self-awareness, mindsets, and emotional intelligence.?These leaders will lean into situations with confidence knowing they have the necessary skills and tools to ?deal with any challenge.

Let me know what drives you and your decision making? Are you running from something or moving toward your challenges with confidence?

If you’re interested to better understand what drives you, how to develop?greater control over your emotions, and act with confidence, please?reach out to me and?schedule some time to talk.??

Visit my website to learn more

Schedule a call today!