Many leaders will lament the economic conditions, or the difficulty in hiring people, or the supply chain, or any number of other challenges in the world around us. To be sure there are many obstacles that are difficult and make for less than ideal conditions. This is a constant in our work and while the particular obstacle may change, challenges as a whole will not disappear.
So what can we do? How do we tackle these huge issues in life and in our work? First, we must look beyond the challenge to see the opportunity. It is amazing what can happen when we are able to be both solutions and opportunity-focused. Ask yourself, if I can’t do “A” what else can I do?
Most leaders tend to stop by just identifying that “A” will not work. They throw up their hands and wonder how to survive. This mindset will only hold you hostage to the challenge and keep you from the success you could achieve.
It is normal to feel a loss when some of our routines change or to feel frustration at having to do things in different ways. However, the real question is how will you respond? The events that come your way will not change, but you can change your response. In fact, it is your response that determines whether something will reach a positive or negative outcome.
Our response includes our attitude, focus, and resilience. If you approach anything with a negative attitude it will be near impossible to have a positive outcome. Your attitude translates into action that is either constructive or destructive. Likewise, if you focus solely on what is wrong it will be extremely difficult to think of creative solutions. And without resilience, you will sit in your office waiting for someone else to fix the problem.
The option is yours. Do you want to navigate change and overcome problems to create momentum for your team, or will you be a victim of circumstance? Leaders choose to overcome!
