Gaian Newsletter Volume 5.7

October 13, 2008

Leading Through Turbulent Times

Turbulent times, such as today, can stretch organizations to the max.  People get scared, the environment seems unpredicatable, and sometime we can't really see where we are going.  In these times, there are five keys to leading your organization to the other side.

The first key is to believe in yourself.  You must find the place that provides you the most calm and personal power, and remember what you know how to do.  Bad things can happen through panic, good things through calm and assertive action (even if your action is to wait).

The second key is to focus on what is really important to you.  Our values are a critical guide in times like these.  We pick the few things that most need to happen and most define our mission in life, and we pare down to preserving those. 

The third key is to allow things to swing.  Market prices are swinging, media reports are swinging, and sales are swinging.  Let that happen, and know that you cannot control them.  You can only control your response (see the first key).

The fourth key is to keep moving.  You have a vision, clarify it.  You have direction, keep it.  It is a vision in action that creates positive outcomes.  Nothing is over until it is really over.  We often have most of the control of that. 

The fith key is to involve others in your plans and your intentions.  You must spread the attention to priorities to others, and assure them of what you intend to do.  This is a time for clarity and calm, and for providing the emotional connection to those who are on the journey with you.

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