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3 Steps: How to Lead During Difficult Times
This month I’m sharing a video blog so we can at least connect screen to screen. We are going to focus on how to lead during challenging times. We are facing a challenging time that’s hitting us at home, in our businesses, in the economy...it’s hitting us from all angles.
How do you lead as a mother, a business owner... Regardless of who you are there are actions you can take to lead your community. Let’s talk about how to lead well and what steps you can take when experiencing a difficult trial or challenge.
Step #1: process what’s happening. Feel what you feel.
Whether that takes a couple of hours or a couple of days, take the time to process or grieve the new circumstances and what that means for your life, your family, and your business.
If you don’t allow yourself the spaciousness to feel that, then you'll lose patience or blow up at the people you love.
It’s important to step back and take the time so you can lead others.
Step #2: accept the situation. What I mean is to accept what’s out of your control.
There’s nothing we can do to control the vents of the world. There are things we can do.
We can wash our hands. We can follow the guidelines of social distancing. We can help those in need.
Determine what is in your control. Your reaction is in your control. How you show up is in your control.
The rest of that we just have to accept. There’s nothing we can do to fix the stock market. We can’t fix that people are losing their jobs.
We can write a caring letter. We can reach out and offer our help. These are the things we can do after we accept the situation.
When you accept the situation it is quite freeing. Until we accept the things that are out of our control, the burden is on our own shoulders and we are left to carry that weight.
Step #3: once you accept, it’s important to let go. Let go of the control you thought you had. This allows you to be more open and more creative.
It allows you to tap into creativity around you...in your community...other business owners.
Tap into their ideas to keep your business afloat. If you’re struggling at home to create a new routine, reach out to other families to share new ideas.
Get together with like minded people on the phone or on video conferences and share ideas, ask for help, be open and creative. Stay connected online. With all the amazing technologies we have, let’s make use of them in a useful way.
Be open. Let go. Tap into your creativity. This allows you to find solutions and lead the way.
Here are a few more ideas that will help you stay grounded during this difficult time.
- Accept that this is a new normal. You have family at home. Your kids may be at home.
You may have a health professional in your home and find that scary. - Find a new schedule or routine at home with your family. Experiment with this. Things are very different.
Throw away those old routines. Talk with your family.
What are their challenges? How do they want to use their time?
Each day try to map out a plan and experiment with it. Make it a fun thing. - Many of us are under quarantine. You want to make sure you are still making progress. You need to redefine what success looks like.
As a family, that might be making a new routine. It might mean cleaning up or doing house projects. It might mean more quality time together. We must still acknowledge the accomplishments we are making each day.
How are you helping a neighbor? Are you reaching out and sending emails or letters to loved ones? Are you checking in with family members?
How are you making progress and making a positive impact during this scary season? - Schedule self-care time. Even if you’re a mom and your kids are at home, ask your spouse or oldest child to help you get a timeout for even just 10 minutes. Take a bath. Do meditation. Do yoga.
If you can’t get away from the kids, schedule family self-care time. Go on a social distancing family walk.
Do meditation, yoga, or visualization together as a family. - As a business owner, a way to stay grounded is instead of focusing on what’s out of your control and what’s frustrating you, focus on how you can make progress.
Try to focus on boosting your online presence. Focus on how your business can help the community.
Show your support online. Build goodwill and faith for your brand.
You may be hurting financially now... Find a way to stay afloat but focus on how you can help.
Find shorter term services or products offered at a lower price point to help others who are hurting. Pivot and offer something new that people can afford and something that they need right now.
To recap, it’s all about acceptance, tapping into your creativity, knowing where you can make a difference, let go of what’s out of your control, and being open to reach out to your community for solutions.
I know we will get out of this better together and stronger. Businesses that survive this will learn how to survive difficult times. We will all learn from this challenging time.
Acknowledge the progress you are making, have control over your response. Share what you are doing. What’s working in your business. What’s working with your family?
We are better together. So let’s stick together. Thank you!
Need Support?
Are you struggling with these steps?
I’m here to help. Schedule a coaching call so we can get you unstuck and build out a plan to help you move forward.
