Be a Duck
Bold Leaders face challenges every day. Negotiations take a tough turn. Your team loses a big sale or you are a combat leader taking fire from the enemy...be a duck. I still remember the day my Director of Operations called me into his tent in the middle of the desert 20 years ago, sat me down and said, "Dave, be a duck." I can honestly say that I was completely befuddled and asked for an explanation. “Dave, have you ever watched a duck on a pond? They swiftly move across the water. The water stays calm, the duck looks peaceful, but the duck is paddling like hell to move across the pond and you would never know it by looking at him. Sometimes your passion and reactions limit your leadership.” To say that I am a passionate and intense individual may be an understatement and I can honestly say this is the best advice I have ever received.
I want you to look in the mirror and think about how you react when you hear bad news. Do you show intense emotion? Do you externalize that emotion and take it out on your team or your suppliers? Have you ever laid into a call center person who is not giving you the support you desire? I think that most of us can say that we have lost our cool, become frustrated and taken that frustration out on people who really can’t do anything to resolve the issue. I know I have done this and it rarely works.
Be A Duck…When things are falling to pieces how do you react and what mechanism do you have in place to ensure that you keep your cool, control the situation and make smart decisions? Here are some tricks I suggest to handle difficult situations. To keep it simple just follow this acronym: ACT, Assess the situation, Consider responses, and take action. Don’t rush to judgment. Listen, I mean really listen…ensure you have all the facts then check the facts again before you react. The initial problem will not seem as difficult once you know all of the facts. If you go external with a problem before you have all of the facts or propose a solution based on only some of the facts you have set your team up for failure more importantly you may lose the trust of your team or customers. Once you have the facts, consider your options. Many times you will have a multitude of options to consider that allow for many paths to a final solution that is mutually beneficial. Finally, based on your available options take the appropriate action. I know that I have been to quick to respond and it has cost me. The ACT philosophy works in every situation and allows you to respond appropriately based on the facts.
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