Michael Nichols | Leadership Made Simple
Leadership Made Simple
I waited “patiently” for what seemed like an eternity.
I was starving. I watched from the passenger seat as she browsed the menu board.
I fiddled with a couple of apps on my iPad – attempting to get my mind off of my intense hunger.
Finally, I gave in – “Do you know what are you going to order?”
A new course toward your degree. A new job or a new diet. That book you were reading. Your workout. New Year’s resolutions. A business plan. Your life plan. A relationship. Attending church. Getting out of debt. Quitting smoking.
You were doing great – then you weren’t. What happened?!
What causes us to give up on our goals? Why do we so readily abandon our dreams? How can we just walk away?
Why is life so difficult? Why can’t our work be simpler? And why the need for so much drama?
I hate pain. I despise discomfort. So when I’m going through a rough time, I often look for the quickest exit from the discomfort. Maybe you do too.
In these challenging moments, I begin asking – How can I solve this problem? How can I repair the hurt? How can we minimize the damage. And, How can I do it fast?!
What painful experience are you navigating today? Have you been hurt deeply by a friend, family member, or colleague? Do you work with a poor leader? Does your dysfunctional organization seem beyond repair?
I’ve learned that there’s one reason. Here it is…
Tough times are inevitable. Something is going to happen to you that you didn’t want to happen – you didn’t expect to happen. What are you going to do about it?
A couple of weeks ago, I visited the George W. Bush Presidential Library on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. And in my first visit to a presidential library, I was reminded of the difficult moments, days, weeks, and months following the September 11, 2001 attacks on our country.
In one of the exhibits, I watched a short video in which the former president said:
I never wanted to be a wartime president.
And there are going to be things that happen to you that you didn’t want – or expect to happen to you.
Let’s face it – Life is going to deal you a hand that you don’t want to play. And the fundamental question is – how are you going to play it?
That’s just the way life is.
Like you (and our 43rd president), I have been confronted by some incredibly difficult circumstances. Yes – there were times when the pain was the byproduct of my own poor choices. But many times, it was not.
And rather than wasting precious time and enormous amounts of energy regretting my path, asking why or what if – I have chosen to focus on these 5 things when I’m faced with tough times…
If you want to improve your leadership and your relationships with your team, this post is for you!
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