The Foundation

“The good life is not built on a foundation of ease...it’s the hard times that give us a rock solid foundation.”

- Richie Norton – author, coach, serial entrepreneur

I’ve been asked to write this article around the idea of leadership in a time of crisis. My assumption, after doing an internet search, was confirmed. There are a multitude of articles on the topic already out there. Many make very valid points about what great leaders do. Things such as over communicating, grit, resilience, adaptability, staying positive etc. They’re like different rooms in your leadership castle. Each leader will mix and match these qualities to different levels. But what about the foundation? Is there a common denominator at a fundamental level that all great leaders have. Based wholly on my experience, I believe there is.

The great leaders I have known have one quality in common. They’ve developed a mindset, a strategy if you will, for dealing with setbacks. Any setbacks. From having a piece of manufacturing machinery break down at an inopportune time, to dealing with a strong new competitor, to the current situation the world now finds itself in.

The foundational quality is their ability to control their emotions and not let their emotions control them.

When a setback occurs, many of us have an immediate response of frustration which quickly leads to anger. Left unchecked, anger will soon convince us that we’re a victim of whatever situation we find ourselves in. Once we’re a victim we’re emotionally helpless. Checkmate.

Even great leaders sometimes feel these emotions, however they quickly reign them in. They know there’s nothing good that can come from it. Frustration and anger are not only counterproductive, they often substantially increase the harm done by the setback. Great leaders know if they let themselves become a victim they’ve just sacrificed the creative part of their brain. They very thing they need most.

There’s a bit of irony that while dealing with a setback caused by a contagious disease we can miss the fact that anger can be just as contagious. When we’re angry we often try to recruit others. We want them to validate our anger. When someone challenges our thinking we’ll often respond with, “I have every right to be angry.” Ok, but where’s the value in that? How does that help ones situation?

So what do great leaders do? They don’t allow themselves to get angry. They know there are only two options with anger. You can express and spread it as stated above or you can suppress it. It doesn’t take a psychology degree to see that neither of those options have much chance for a positive outcome. By not allowing anger to seep in they no longer have anything to express or suppress. They can instead focus on what they need to do.

Our brains have a long history of being wired for “fight, flight or freeze”. If our emotions are in control, this ancient hardwiring takes over. Research shows that when we’re scared or frustrated or angry the logical part of our brain begins to quickly shut down. Our body literally sends less blood flow to that part of our brain. Fear and helplessness take over. Not exactly what one wants when trying to figure out what the next best move is it.

In a previous article I wrote about how you’re welcome to argue with reality, just know that you’ll only lose 100% of the time. Great leaders don’t. The 5 stages of grief are defined as: Denial-Anger-Bargaining-Depression-Acceptance. Great leaders choose to skip the first four stages and get right to the task at hand.

They know their creativity comes when their mind is clear, with themselves in control of their emotions. They look at the options they have, choose the best ones they see and take action. They quickly accept the situation knowing that any other response is just a terrible waste of time and energy.

I know many, many businesses are hurting right now. Some will say that getting angry is just what people do. But that’s incorrect. While not necessarily an easy one, how you respond is a choice. When looking at the alternatives you can paralyze yourself by choosing to be a victim, or as the opening quote says you can use the hard times to build a rock solid foundation by being the ruler of your emotions. To become a great leader, the choice is clear.