6 Key Leadership Essentials - Part 3 Poised Under Pressure
But to truly get the meaning of “poise under pressure” I think Joseph Rudyard Kipling, author and poet, summed it up best in the opening and closing lines of his most famous poem, IF.
“If you can keep your head when all about you / Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; ….
….If you can fill the unforgiving minute / With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it / And which is more, you’ll be a Man, my son!”
What a profound statement! I don’t care if you’re a man or woman, black, white, green, or orange, young, or old, understanding and living these few lines are what separates strong, brilliant Leaders from the rest of the pack.
And isn’t that what every person on this planet is hungry for? A great, brilliant Leader who can stand strong in the middle of a hurricane and not be overtaken by the chaos of the moment.
Don’t believers, want to know that when the heat goes up, the person they’ve chosen to follow will not succumb to petty infighting or lose control?
I think the answer to that is YES!
Leaders who lose their cool when conflicts arise will not instill confidence and trust. In fact, when a leader flies off the handle or expresses their feelings in unacceptable ways, they leave fear and instability in their wake. People want their leader to be strong and to come up with sound solutions when adversity strikes.
So what steps can you take to ensure you’re the poised leader your followers want:
Think pragmatically and work towards resolving issues calmly and without emotion.
Check your ego at the door. Regardless of the situation, great, brilliant leaders keep their personal feelings in check.
Listen to all sides of a conflict. Listen without judgement or bias before acting.
When you get angry, (and you will get angry), take a mental time-out before you respond. Those old words of wisdom, “count to ten” or “take a deep breath” never held so true.
But for a great, brilliant leader being poised under pressure isn’t just about keeping your cool when the heat is up. It’s also about successfully handling that moment when you’re caught off guard and the spotlight turns on you.
Next week we’re going to explore proven strategies you can use to make the most of these impromptu “hot seat” moments and turn them into brilliant opportunities.
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