Roots and Resilience
Last week in a matter of three hours we experienced a flat tire, a broken windshield, and an ER visit to Arkansas Children's. Just a typical Thursday night... Those three experiences were not directly connected, but they were far from enjoyable!
We've all had one of those days. One of those seasons. When, no matter how hard we try to make everything work right, something goes wrong.
This happens at work often. A key leader forgets a key aspect on a project. A rising star manager accepts a role in a different organization. A vendor you rely on doesn't follow through. A computer stops working. A marketing strategy flopped. A team member gets COVID right before a big pitch.
You get the picture: a day or a season when things do not go as planned.
Sometimes when those things happen I start to think: "What did I do wrong?" "Is this punishment for...?" "Does this mean I shouldn't move this direction?" Have you felt that?
Then I wake up to reality and remember life happens and it is going to be okay.
I'll tell you what--when "life happens" and my roots are deep, I'm much more resilient. I stay focused on my goals and keep pursuing them in-spite of what I cannot control. When I'm not in a healthy place, when my roots are shallow, it's much easier to let the circumstances thwart my purpose.
There's a direct correlation between our roots and our resilience. Just like a tree. I remember pretending to not watch, "A Walk in the Clouds" with my wife. At the end of the movie after a vineyard fire, Keanu Reeves ran to the original vine, dug up the roots and saved the family vineyard. Because of the strength and health of the roots, the vineyard was going to be okay. It was resilient. The strength and health of the roots is the key to its resiliency.
How do you gain strong roots as a leader?
1) Rest | Take time to rest as a leader. Stop running on fumes. Date your spouse, play with your kids and leave your phone in the other room when you do. Spend time being active and be healthy.
2) Relationships | Take time to invest in authentic friendships with people who care about your marriage, your family, and your purpose. Invest in people who build you up, encourage you, and are there for you. Be that for someone and make sure someone is being that for you.
3) Purpose | Take time to clarify what's most important in this season of life and be proud of how you live with that focus in mind. Live life with purpose and be proud of the trail you are blazing.
The relationship between your roots and your resilience, as a leader, is key. When you are rested, have healthy relationships and are living with purpose and things don't go your way, you will be resilient and stay the course. When your roots are shallow (you're on fumes, you have no real relationships, and you can't clarify your purpose) it's going to be easier for the next crisis to guide you off the trail.
If you are a senior leader who needs stronger roots you need to seriously consider prioritizing participating in our Courage and Conviction Leadership Series. The next experience is Aug 24-26 in Dallas--Green.
What's Next?
Let's meet up for a virtual coffee to talk about what's happening in your world and figure out the best next steps to address it: https://calendly.com/insightleadership/virtualcoffee
