There’s no power, Capt’n!
I recently attended a business retreat, located in a rural part of Colorado. It was beautiful…I woke up every day to blue skies, lush green mountains, and a family of horses grazing in a field below our deck.
One morning, I also woke up to no power. The house ran off a solar grid, and unfortunately, the battery was struggling to retain power from the system.
It was going to be a minute before the generator was turned on, and panic started to set in.
I am envious of anyone who can ‘wash and wear’ right out of shower. I’m not one of them.
Okay…go to plan B. I can still shower, but without power, and therefore no blow dryer, I’m forced to greet the day, and my retreat leaders and colleagues, in a baseball cap.
My vanity had to be put on the backburner.
I decided to follow the lead of those around me.
They didn’t care. So, I didn’t care. It’s out of my control, so let it go. Make the best of it.
But it didn’t end there. Cue the irony.
‘Camille, we’d like to make a video of you sharing a bit about your experience.’
WHAT?
People who know me know about the relationship I have with the camera.
It’s not good. I have never learned how to take pictures or be on video.
More irony…my son’s partner is a professional photographer.
My brand strategy partners suggested that I needed to get updated pictures for my website.
Cue the stomachache.
I asked her if she would be willing to take my pictures and help me make them look nice. She promised she would.
Today, I opened Facebook to see that ‘baseball cap video’ posted for all to see. With the sound off, I watched it. With the sound on, I was pretty impressed with myself. It was beautifully produced, and while I would have preferred to have presented more professionally, maybe it was meant to be.
Comfort zone? What comfort zone?
So, what does this have to do with leadership?
Sometimes we must do things that make us uncomfortable. I’m a Coach with a business to market, and that requires me to use my image. As leaders, we’re often presented with situations that require us to make difficult decisions.
Sometimes we need to hold people accountable. Sometimes we need to reduce our staff. Sometimes we need to deliver tough messages.
Here are a few tips to face uncomfortable leadership challenges head-on:
‘Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.’ Denying there’s a problem doesn’t make the problem go away. Avoiding the uncomfortable only delays (and grows) the problem and the discomfort.
Preparation can ease any uneasiness.
- How do you want to show up for this critical conversation?
- What’s the outcome you want from the conversation?
- What are the main points that must be made?
- If the conversation doesn’t go as planned, what’s your exit strategy?
Preparation builds confidence. As leaders, a key part of our role is to model leadership for others. How timely you are in addressing problems shows others how much you care about the work, the workers and the workplace.
Leverage your strengths. As a strengths-based Coach, I’m all about leveraging the qualities that come naturally to us. Why make it hard?
Continuing with the ‘difficult conversation’ scenario, what strengths might a leader use to ensure a better outcome? I’ll use some of my own strengths as examples:
Curiosity: What curiosity do I have about the other person’s experience? How might my curiosity create connection between us?
Narrator: What story might I share that relates to what’s happening? How can stories create a shared experience?
Emotional Awareness: Can I notice how the other person is feeling about our conversation? Am I willing to seek to understand those feelings?
What’s possible? In our attempts to avoid discomfort, we lose out on the opportunity to…see the opportunity. My #1 strength is Growth: in what ways will this lousy situation allow me to grow as a leader?
What opportunity is possible on the other side of that difficult conversation? A better understanding of each other’s perspectives? A deeper level of trust between the two of you? Being less uncomfortable the NEXT TIME you need to have a difficult conversation?
The possibilities are endless…
Now, do I suddenly love getting my picture taken or being on video? Nope! Will I run for the hills the next time someone says: ‘Camille, we’d like to make a video…’? Nope!
…but please, let the power work next time!