Why can’t we all just get along?

Did you ever wonder why it’s so hard to just get along? Why there’s so much tension and dissension in the world? Why has behavior hit new lows with badmouthing all the way from top leadership in our country to the workplace?

It’s everywhere and in all areas of our lives.

Just recently sweet, chubby, 70-year-old Elton John walked off the stage in the middle of a song in Las Vegas. 

Elton John?

Sir Elton took a stand by walking away. He decided to stop a man who kept reaching out to high five him while he was performing. Enough already, he got off the piano bench and left the stage. Annoyed and frustrated he did return to finish the concert and announced there will no longer be people on the stage when he sings. He created a boundary for himself and by doing so, for everyone who ever goes to hear him perform in the future.

Elton John acted. Now let’s dig into the question, “Why can’t we all just get along?” Hey, that would be a fabulous song for someone (Elton?) to write and perform.

I believe we’re at the turning point to no longer accept bad behavior: physical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, violence, back-biting, demeaning each other, social media put-downs. All of it.This month is dedicated to you, leaders willing to be transformation trailblazers, aka pattern pioneers.

It’s time for a profound shift in how we treat each other. No excuses. No exceptions.

Here’s the starting point.

Until now, the knowledge of relationships belonged to the psychology crowd. Now, it belongs to all of us.

Every leader, every emerging leader, needs to look beneath the surface and get skilled at what is really being said and why people put their feet in their mouths, hold back, or push boundaries past what is helpful and appropriate.

FIRST: Look inside yourself. That’s right, look at what flips your lid, what sets your blood boiling, what makes you madder than hell. Once you can name the people and situations that get you hopping mad you can decide what to do about them.

NEXT: Pay attention to how those around you respond to you when you are upset and angry.

PUT TOGETHER: This is where the gold lies, at the intersection of interactions.

NEW WAY: Begin to see that we are all individuals in interaction. Yup, we all play off each other. One size does not fit all. You may react to the exact same situation in different ways depending on who is on the other side of the conversation.

NOW: Take my leadership development test to begin the journey to see you underlying patterns. Then you can start to see the patterns others carry.

That’s where the action is, it’s in that middle space between you and whoever! This will color how you communicate, collaborate, create, confide, and commit in relationships. Join me on this leadership journey of transformation and trailblazing.

About Sylvia Lafair

Sylvia Lafair, Ph.D., is president of Creative Energy Options, a global consulting firm, has been named in Top 30 Global Leadership Gurus 2016, 2017 & 2018.

Her Total Leadership Connections Program is in the top 10 from HR.com for the past 7 years. Her focus on people skills takes her to companies such as Novartis, McGraw Hill, and Microsoft, as well as family firms and entrepreneurial businesses.

An award-winning author, Lafair has written Don’t Bring It to Work, Gutsy: How Women Leaders Make Change, and Unique: How Story Sparks Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement. She is a keynote speaker and executive coach.

Are you ready for the next level of leadership? Take the leadership quiz and find out: https://ceoptions.com/leadership-behavior-quiz/