Facing Fear: Choosing to Go Forward

Much is being written about how to survive through 2009, which I’ve heard described as “the nuclear winter.”  Two of my favorite posts include “How to Survive the Financial Crisis” by Bob Hacker on his Sophisticated Finance blog and “Tough Times Never Last, Tough People Do” by Don Dodge on his The Next Big Thing blog.   The most interesting advice, which is being printed here in its entirety, comes from Shandel Slaten, a professional life coach, who runs the business True Life Coaching and blogs here.  From her recent newsletter, “The Coach’s Time Out” entitled Facing Fear:  Choosing to Go Forward.

“Flat is the new up.”

I had to chuckle at how a business colleague summed up the present state of the entrepreneur. It’s pretty serious out there, and we are all in it to one degree or another.

I went through my own shock this fall when solid clients were forced to cut back, and I found myself facing a 65 percent loss of business within one week! The emotional ride of anxiety, uncertainty, fear, questioning-it is called “grief”!

The waves are rough as we head into the sea of adversity. As you know, adversity has a way of shaking us to our core and leaving us in a place of unknown-while at the same time providing an opportunity for us to choose our response.

Now Is the Time

Listen to me, dear leaders. You need to step up right now! Now is your time to step out of your greatest fears, rally your people, address the fact that you are scared, your people are scared-and opportunity is everywhere!

You may not be able to change the events and circumstances of the world around you. But you are able to choose your attitude, change your b

ehavior, and act intentionally to take advantage of all the opportunity that surrounds you.

Until you stop reacting to “what was” and start responding to “what is,” you will stay in an emotionally arrested state, hunkered down in a state of fear which will never produce the results you can be proud of. I am not saying, just think positive. What I am suggesting is, surround yourself with people who see opportunity, will tell you the truth, and help you focus not on the “how” or the “what” of your operation, but on the “who”  and “why.”

That is one thing that’s beautiful in this dark storm. Just like 9/11, it is a chance to simplify life, get back to what matters most, face our dark sides, dismiss those nagging self-limiting beliefs, and be positioned to see all the great opportunity that is passing you by.

Courageous Surrender

What we can control, influence, and impact, we must do so. What we cannot control, I invite you to surrender to. Not surrender in a give-up kinda way. Far from it. I mean surrender in a courageous, bold way-intentionally dismissing the fear (false sense of controlling) and the negative self-limiting beliefs so that you may see through eyes of faith (the opposite of fear) to the amazing opportunities all around you.

Once you have done that, look around your sphere of influence and help others do the same. People need the real you to lead them. There is nothing worse than the vibrato of an out-of-touch leader. Courage is key in a time like this.  The faster you can come to grips with your own fears,  the sooner you are ready to reignite hope and optimism from an authentic place.

I got out my General George S. Patton quotes the other day just to inspire myself.

So if you don’t mind my Patton approach, I have a few words to the strong!

Listen Up, Leaders!

Leaders! Please stop solving your own crisis in a vacuum. Get help, get clear, and get in front of your team and talk to them! And don’t screw it up by skipping to the talk before the help-and-clarity part. As you are putting your budgets together for next year I implore you to be forward-thinking of the ramifications of the economic hit on you and your employees. Morale, productivity, and long-term results are at stake-not to mention the recovery process of your organizational health after all this. With all the cuts and downsizing you have to remember the human dynamic of what is happening.

Think about it. If you are scared, and you actually have control, information, and power, what about your people’s emotional state every waking hour of the day without control, information, or power. Please, pull your employees together and methodically process with them the emotion, the fear, and the uncertainty of what is going on. Get them on the same page of how to maximize results and creatively seize opportunities!

You all know that it a rare occasion when I directly say, Let me help you.  It’s hard for me to self-promote, and I just have to trust that you all know my heart. However, this is my sweet spot and what I am good at. I can help you face this dark time, and your investment in your team will pay high dividends in the end.

As we head into a new year, please promise me you will lead wisely and will invest your time, energy, and resources into your team. My desire is for you to win this war and emerge a respected, loved, and admired leader who has a great testimony of “I remember when…”

FOR YOU!

Shandel