Ever had one of those days when it feels like you’re in a perfect storm in your life? The roof sprung a leak – the dog threw up on the new carpet – the check engine light came on – your biggest account left for a competitor – you’re having a fight with your spouse. ARRGGHHH!
Storms happen. It’s a part of figuring out life. Storms will come. Leaders prepare for them. But how? It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.
(1) Have an emergency plan. Just like you would personally have a financial emergency fund, so your business should have a fund for emergencies that are inevitable. Treat it like an insurance payment, saving for car repairs, and planning your charitable giving.
What process will an emergency trigger? Knowing ahead of time lets you rest easier.
(2) Be aware of an emotional reaction. In the heat of a storm, it’s easy to let our emotions lead. Neuroscience calls this an amygdala hijack. The amygdala helps us decide whether to fight, flee or freeze. To avoid it we must create a pause to help re-engage our thinking brain, otherwise the amygdala hijacks our smarts with we become stupid.
Having a plan is just the thing for this pause. Take a breath. And then…
(3) Include other people. Essential to navigating a storm is the ability to lean on others.
This all sounds so simple yet many leaders don’t do it. Plan ahead. The storms will come.