How do you emerge stronger when you are rocked to the core? I mean, really rocked.

There I was, holding on to a rock in the middle of the rapids, rethinking my whole life. I was rocked to the core.  

Let’s start from the beginning of the day.  

We had church on zoom and my friend texted me right after I wrapped up to say, “meet me in 15 min, we are hitting the river.” So, of course, I don’t ask any questions.  As a side, I do ask my wife (she says yes!) and I head out the door.  

There’s 4 of us at the start.  

The first set of rapids were exhilarating. Bigger than normal and the adrenaline was pumping. MAN, I LOVE THE RIVER! Wait...what’s happening?  Where is Clay going? In retrospect, he was the wisest of our group when he bailed at that first rapid due to an equipment issue.   

The three of us ventured back to the river. The event planner yells back at us and says, “there’s a rough spot up here somewhere, I’m not sure where”. We genuinely appreciated the heads up and it had been years since I’ve swam a rapid and I wasn’t about to start now.  But, just in case, I slide my sunglasses into my life vest and navigate forward. Some might say this was my first mistake – a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts. 

We navigate the next section fine … but before I know it, I’m high sided on a rock and swimming. I’m determined to catch up to my kayak which is in arm's length, but the current took it faster than I could blink - deep into the rapids. I’m squarely in the chaos, when the water sweeps me right into a protruding rock. Sticking out of the rapids just enough to hold onto without being swept away.  

There I was holding on to a rock in the middle of the rapids rethinking my whole life.

This is what I mean by being rocked to the core.  

I thought:  

• Screw this, I’m out... 

• I’m done kayaking ...  

• I love my wife … 

• I love my kids …  

• I don’t want to drown …  

• I hope the rock doesn’t budge … 

• Is there anyone who can help … 

A few times I tried to get my footing to walk the 20 feet to the shore, but every time I started to move, the rapids started to sweep me away.  

I had to assess my options: 

1. Am I going to be the guy who gets rescued by the park rangers swift water team? (No) 

2. Am I going to drown swimming the rapids? (maybe, but chances are I won’t die) 

I went with option 2 since our coordinator also happened to be my doctor and I figured he would be able to resuscitate me if worst came to worst. Believe it or not, I was trained to swim the rapids and knew the basics... feet up – head up.  

That was my only option. Feet up - head up.  It became my mantra … I said a prayer and let go of the rock.  

The waves were huge. My feet were hitting the rocks, the river water was flowing into my lungs as I tried desperately to keep my head from slamming into the rocks underneath me. 250 yards later and I was drained – the only thing keeping me afloat was the vest.  250 more yards, wave after wave beating me up like a novice in a UFC fight, when I faintly hear someone yelling to me from the shore, “Swim here, swim here”.  I didn’t have an ounce of energy left and had consumed gallons of river water that was weighing me down even more.  I thought there was no chance, but I rolled over and started, with all my remaining strength, the breaststroke through the current.  The next thing I remember is being on the shore “expelling” all that river water that had made its way into my lungs.  

I was done with the near-death experience… but, it wasn’t over.  I was done … but, I had to kayak another 3 miles. 

It was the first time I didn’t look forward to being on the river. 

Many of us have felt similar feelings during COVID 19. We have been rocked to the core. We’ve felt like we are holding onto the rock in the middle of the rapids and the only option is to let go and pray.  

Well, how do you emerge stronger from that?  

Here’s what I’ve thought about since that May 17, moment on the rock. 

1. I could only do what I was trained to do. Head up – feet up. The training worked. I’m here, but I’m shaken up and not planning my next trip yet. 

2. A guide would have been helpful. A guide would have led me through the rapids and given me a chance to truly enjoy a beautiful day on the river. 

3. Painful moments help us remember what’s most important and we should shift our behavior accordingly. 

How do you emerge stronger when you are rocked to the core? Find the right guide for moving forward. Avoid navigating disruption without a clear map.  

If I would have read a field guide on that section of the river, I would have known what I was getting into and how to get through it.  

That why we’ve created A Leader’s Field Guide for ReEntry. We created a guide to help you navigate through disruption without having to make the choice of being rescued or praying you won’t drown.   

Learn more about the guide here.

Purchase the guide here and receive access to it today. You don’t have to wait.  

Emerge Stronger | Lesson From The Fire Part 1

There I was with a large pile trees. Literal trees. And then there were the necessary supplies. Diesel fuel, lighter fluid and matches. The idea was simple - burn the pile.

The fire burned for about 45 seconds and then fizzled out … It was great and then it wasn’t. The pile of trees was still there.

This experience made me remember: Good leaders with great ideas fail to create healthy work cultures far too often.

It’s not because they are bad leaders and it’s not because they don’t care. It’s because they try to force the change too quickly. You know - douse it with diesel instead of actual preparation.

Great ideas without proper preparation fizzle out.

Too often we try to drive change, it turns out like when men try to start fires. Quickly and poorly. It’s exciting at first and we get enough response to create a press release, but it doesn’t last.

You are about to lead through one of the most important times in the history of your business. How will you make sure you emerge stronger after all of this? Get some coaching and ensure that you not lead through the challenges well.

Everyone needs an eddy ... but, what is it?

Plenty of thoughts come to mind when we hear the name eddy?

Thought one: Cousin Eddy.

Thought Two: Cousin Eddy.

While I have nothing against cousin Eddy, I don’t think everyone needs one.

What eddy are we talking about?

We’re talking about the kind of eddy I found on the river when I was 15. We were white water kayaking and the guide taught me to navigate the changing currents, read the river, and find the eddy. There’s more to the story, but that’s for another time.

Here’s how www.kayakguru.com describes the eddy:

“Eddies can be great places to stop while you’re making your way down rapids, as they can give you a chance to pause and catch your breath before you hit the next run.
They can also be ideal for using to map your route downstream, letting you bounce from one eddy to the next as you make your way down river.
But getting in and out of the eddies may not always be easy because of the conflicting currents at the eddy lines. For this, it can be a good idea to identify the eddy lines.”

I think we can call agree that having an opportunity to pause and catch our breath would be nice. Many of us were hustling before COVID 19 and now we are living with uncertainty and often times a lack of clarity. It’s exhausting.

What if we could pause and catch our breath? And more than that, what if we could map our route?

Meaning - what if we know where we were going and what are next steps are to get there. That’s why finding the eddy is so important. Otherwise we let the current take us and we might not always like where we end up.

Finding the eddy is not always easy. My first time trying to get into one ended with me sucking air in 40 degree water and trying to climb back into the kayak as quickly as possible! Navigating the shift in current nailed me.

We are going to feel that way often. It’s jolting to find the eddy. And yet, it’s necessary.

We are kicking off our Find The Eddy course. It’s a one-month, highly interactive coaching group. Each group is limited to six participants.

We will talk about how to find the eddy (rest) during the hustle and grind and how to take advantage of the rest to make sure you get to where you need to go and enjoy the ride.

My Wife Wants A Garden The Size Of. A Swimming Pool

My wife has been planning a garden and so she asked me to prep it. She’s from Nebraska … so it’s going to be a big garden. (Think swimming pool size …)

My wife wants a garden, so after a week of praying that she would change her mind, I got on board when she had a friend drop off his tiller. Here are my steps:

Step 1: Get out the mower for the inaugural mow of the season

• Result: The belt popped off the mower 3 times. The swimming pool area is mowed, but that’s it…

Step 2: Learn to use the tiller my buddy dropped off

• Result: The ground still looks like I mowed … She called her dad who shared that there is a setting to adjust the tiller depth. Try #2 is coming tonight. On a positive note, I introduced my 14-year-old son to a pick ax as secondary option to tilling and gaining man muscles.

Step 3: Visit an essential business

• Result: Supporting the local economy

Am I frustrated? Yes. Today was the day it was going to happen. We fired up the Hustler and 90 seconds later the belt popped off. We put the belt back on. 64.2 seconds later the belt popped off.

Today was not much different than any other day during the past few weeks. Goals, ideas, and strategies are interrupted by something unplanned and frustrating.

We’re tired of it. What should take one hour is taking 4 hours and two nights.

I’m not sure how to avoid the gardening frustration (unless I knew how to use a tiller…)

However, I do know how we can make sure that the daily interruptions and frustrations don’t get the best of us. The mower will be fixed. The garden bed will be tilled. The goal will be accomplished. Life will go on.

You see - Meg (my wife) has a clear vision for the garden of what goes where and family and friends enlisted to help with it. So, I’m in. I love the idea. No matter what happens, we will adjust and overcome because I share in the vision.

We can’t avoid daily interruptions and uncertainty getting in the way, but when we have a clear shared vision (that is more than a trite statement), we can overcome and continue on. That’s the key…having a clear shared vision with clear priorities. We need to know and be committed to the daily steps that are necessary to move forward towards the dream.

When we have a clear vision, with clear direction, we can rest. We call it Finding The Eddy.

If you are tired of uncertainty and disruption getting in the way of your vision, change it up. Find The Eddy. Join our coaching group that begins April 15th and we will get there together.

It's Here. Your Favorite Shirt

Find The Eddy T-Shirt

Trying to find rest, clarity and vision? Getting ready for the new-normal? Support our business and get a great shirt!

I’m Going to Check out the Shirt

I’m Going to Buy the Shirt.

We know you’ve been searching your closet for the perfect shirt while also trying to figure out how to support your favorite leadership development company of all time.

We’ve got you covered.

Winston Churchill wore this shirt when giving his famous speech. Bill Gates wore this shirt when he dreamed up Microsoft. Bezos wore this shirt when he dreamed up Amazon. Michael Jordan wore this shirt under this Bulls Jersey. You get the point. This shirt is the catalyst for great leadership decisions. We could all use help in that area of life right now. Buy the shirt. Find the Eddy. and thank you for your support.

You have approximately 11.2 days to make your big decision. The decision is not should you purchase the shirt. The decision is what size should you get. We can’t make that decision for you and that’s why there are many sizes available.

These are high quality, comfortable shirts. Only the best for you. We are thankful for the B-Unlimited partnership to help us get our shirts to you!

Okay - enough of the banter. Here’s the link. Thank you for your support. Definitely tag us on Instagram, FB or LinkedIN when you are working in your new Find The Eddy Shirt!

I’m Going to Check out the Shirt

I’m Going to Buy the Shirt.

Leading: Same Principles. Different Challenges.

We can call it whatever we want.

• Leading change.

• Leading in times of crisis.

• Leading during a pandemic.

• Leading in times of growth.

• Leading great teams.

• Leading dysfunctional teams.

• Leading digital teams.

• Leading collaborative teams.

We’ve been leading teams and developing leaders for a combined 30+ years at Insight Leadership Group and we’ve picked up on a few things leading through and consulting through mergers and acquisitions, mass layoffs, growing teams, etc…

There are some things that change and some that are always consistent in leadership.

The change is less about the skillet and more about the leaders heart. The changes are less about the leaders competency and more about the leaders ability to practice Emotional and Relational Intelligence in any circumstance.

That’s the hard part.

You are a leader and you know how to communicate. Knowing how to communicate effectively when you and your team are in a time of uncertainty is the challenge. It’s more about messaging from the heart and less about a phone call, zoom meeting or email. Your action step is to pull into the eddy and reset leading forward.

You are a leader and know you need to plan. Knowing how to plan effectively when you don’t know what tomorrow holds is the challenge. It’s more about leading towards a vision (Check out our Insight Action Guide) and less about leveraging Excel, Asana, or other project planning tools of your choice.

You are a leader and you know how to help people execute in an effective way. It’s not about clarifying expectations. It's more about inspiring the team to perform when everything is constantly changing at home and at work.

We have laid out three elements that we believe are crucial to being effective leaders in any situation and we are offering free zoom meetings to the first 99 who register for each event.

Step 1: Rest | Get your head and heart in the right place. Rest and pull into the eddy. We are going to offer a free webinar next week to help leaders pull into the eddy in the middle of the chaos. I think we are all in the chaos. Laura and I have been taking a few days to think, pray, and process through how we can provide value to you right now. We hope this helps. We appreciate you all and want to do what we can to support you and your teams in a meaningful way.

Session 1 | Find the Eddy | March 31 | 12:30 p.m.

Step Two: Hustle | We have no doubt you have been hustling since the news came. You are tired. That’s why we Rest first. When we are rested and less anxious we are more ready to communicate and work effectively. We are going to offer a free Zoom meeting after our Rest session with tangible reminders on how to leverage the Strength Deployment Inventory to make sure are communicating effectively with everyone during this time. If you haven’t taken the SDI 2.0 and you need some effective tools to help you leverage your strengths to [Rest. Hustle. Grind] right now, shoot us a message and we can get you set up with the assessment and a debrief coaching session.

Session 2 | Hustle | April 1 | 12:30 p.m.

Step Three: Grind | Often times when we are stressed, we see what is not happening, should be happening, and why it’s not happening…at least from our perspective. The Grind is about taking ownership and remaining agile. Everyone is practicing some form of agility right now in the middle of the uncertainty. We need to take ownership of the sub-cultures that may forming in this new arrangement. Intentionally getting focused on how to help your teams create and/or maintain the culture we want to be known for - now and when we get back to the office - is critical.

Session 3 | Grind | April 3 | 12:30 p.m.

Each session is limited to the first 99 participants. We look forward to seeing you online!

Day 3 | Working With Others While Working From Home Requires Flexibility, Kindness and Clarity.

Text, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Messenger, Zoom … We have so many ways to communicate from a distance. Words, sentences, abbr., emojis, CAPS, poor grammar… We have so many ways to make sure no one understands what we are saying.

Then we have to bring in the reality that we are all wired up differently, have different pressures, experience different challenges, and put it all together to work well with one another. Not just work well with one another, but set a new standard on how to work well with your team while getting great work done.

If you are having challenges or hoping to avoid some, below are a few tips that work when you are working from home as well as in the office. We leverage an amazing tool called Core Strengths 2.0 to help leaders and team communicate more effectively. It makes Emotional Intelligence applicable. Tim Scudder calls it Relationship Intelligence. If you want to make sure your team has the tools necessary to work well from home, give us a call and we can set up a series of Zoom debriefs to keep you on the right track to love life at work and life at home - even while you are working from there.

Here are three key practices we all need to implement while working from home:

Be Flexible | We have our way of working, communicating, and making decisions and everyone else has theirs. When you are working alone - obviously - work your way. When you need something from someone else - be flexible and help them work their way. If they are working their way - they will be leading from their strengths and I promise that produces better results.

Be Kind | We all have anxiety and stress. We are helping our kids with school at home. We are potty training kids. We are helping family members keep their hours by watching their kids. We are helping our clients. We are finding new rhythms to getting our work done. Here’s how we think about being kind at Insight Leadership. Lead with selfless ambition and value others. Get your work done and execute well. Don’t make it all about you when you when in reality, it’s not. While you execute, no matter the challenges, we should never feel the need to devalue others when we feel stressed or anxious. Be kind with your words. If you are misunderstood, apologize and work on improving your communication. This is where the Core Strengths tool makes a huge impact. For years I was misunderstood. That’s a nice way to put it. Other people would use 4 letter word descriptions about my behavior when I felt like I was in my “zone”… Now I know, and I can get work done and be kind all at the same time. I tell you what, if I can figure it out, you can too.

Be Clear | Clarity of expectations are crucial for success in any environment. Be clear about your expectations, clear about feedback, clear about what you can and can not do. Practice communicating in a way that others understand, not just in a way that you understand. If you continually feel misunderstood, give us a call and we will give you the tools be clear, kind and flexible so you can love working and love life after work.

Take a step back, and breathe. Take a look in the mirror and remind yourself that you are a great leader who is facing trying times. Center yourself in the core belief that you can lead with flexibility, kindness and clarity while bringing out the best in your teams by understanding and leveraging their unique strengths.

Day 1 | Working From Home ... 5 Kids are present ...

How to work from home when everyone is home.

It’s day one. Monday. Working from home. I was all set to be productive. It’s 1:13 p.m. and my bride is potty training our 2.58 year old baby girl. Ezra did the 3 pages of homework and 20 minutes of reading assigned. Elliott is studiously working. Titus has wrapped up for the day and is installing new door knobs and locks on the house. Elizabeth, my niece, is now Spider-man and she has finished her school work as well. I’m trying to work. There are only five kids running around the house. No big deal.

There’s a book on my “soon to read” shelf: it’s called, “Deep Work.” It’s all about focusing. I might pick it up tonight since I can’t watch Duke and Arkansas make a run for the playoffs.

So the question is not only, “How do we collaborate well with our team from a distance?” but the question is also, “How do I focus?”

For today, let’s talk about how to focus.

Work From Home Tip 1: Interruptions are everywhere, embrace them and calm down.

Remember when you were interrupted at the office last week and you responded in a polite, fun, and curious way? We recommend a similar response at home. For some reason at home, we pretend we can’t be bothered because our work is super important. Here’s my thought: If we respond in a relationally healthy way, we won’t have as much conflict at home, therefore; easier to focus.

Work From Home Tip 2: Manage your priorities effectively with your team.

Know what has to get knocked out and don’t let the less urgent, less important tasks get in the way of the most important. Plan out your top priorities for the week. Be sure to set meetings or request what you need from others in a timely manner so you’re not inadvertently creating stress for them . Remember, they have 23 kids running around the house as well, with a significant other trying to work from home too. :)

Our Insight team is leveraging Microsoft Teams to collaborate and keep up with who is doing what. Thanks to Angela Lowther, COO of Hatcher Agency for showing us the ropes! Leverage the tools you have or take the time to learn some new online collaboration tools. Slowing down to figure out new work from home norms will help you work at a better and more effective pace sooner than later.

Work From Home Tip 3: Set schedules and fix them again.

Set schedules, see if they work. Set schedules again, see if they work. Do it again. Make sure the schedules work for you, your team, your spouse, and your kids. We have to be realistic that we aren’t typically going to have 4 consecutive hours of quiet. Set realistic expectations for schedules. When our current state of the union has reverted back to some kind of normalcy, I know that I want my team to be able to say, “My boss was considerate of the adjustment needed in this environment. He/She was effective while also valuing my contributions when my personal and professional lives were colliding”. We can imagine what the opposite reflection could look like. For example, right now my wife and sister-in-law are swapping potty training secrets…

Focus! Focus! Focus! Okay I’m back.

1. Embrace the interruptions and enjoy this season as much as you can.

2. Mange your priorities and communicate well with your team.

3. Set schedules and establish new norms.

Share your work from home tips with the community and let’s all help one another out!

For more work from home tips check out a great post from another leader who navigating the shifts and changes: https://www.mindgenius.com/homeworking-homeschooling-in-covid-19-by-brad-egeland/

Are My Great Ideas Getting In The Way of Success?

Are they? Let’s find out.

• Do you come up with ideas quickly and then take quick action?

• Do you ask your team to take action on your ideas?

• Do you look at current project’s status, profitability, and team capacity before asking the team to go down another road, or add to their plate? 

• Do you celebrate the success of the new projects getting completed or start new ones before old ones are complete?

You might see where this is going… This is a common theme that we often hear about and it’s typically communicated from two different perspectives.

Perspective 1 (The Leader With Awesome Ideas): I have an awesome team who adapts to change quickly and is willing to do what it takes. They are agile and keep working on new projects so we can be an innovative organization.

Perspective 2 (The Team Working With The Leader With Awesome Ideas): My CEO is good, that’s how we got here, but with with the growing organization I’m not sure who is going to last longer… them or me. They continually have new ideas that they get my team working on without taking into consideration the other projects and priorities of the team. We aren’t able to complete any meaningful work and move a project forward because we are constantly shifting gears based on the “latest idea.”

You might notice the perspectives are quite different… Here’s the deal. You need to realize your team is getting drained. They listen to you, respect your brilliance, and want to see everything succeed, but those LinkedIn recruitment messages are getting more enticing after each of these interactions with you.

Here’s a way to do a quick gut check:

• Write down how many projects your teams are working on. I mean actually working on. You know - hours in the day are going towards project completion. We all know there is a difference between actual work and keeping the project on the task list to make sure they cover their butts during the next leadership meeting.

• How many ideas are your team members working on and how many of them have a real completion date and profitability plan?

• How often do ask your leaders (or their teams) to start something without first discussing or taking into consideration what other priorities they actively have from you or other parts of the organization?

Are your answers what you expected? Would your leaders come up with the same lists?

Let’s be honest. That might sting a little. It’s okay to have a gut check every now and then.

You are doing your best and working hard to be a great leader. You are connecting with team members, trying to stay innovative and bearing a large weight from the pressure you feel every day. You are doing what you are doing to make everything work.

With that…

• Sometimes we move so quickly that we don’t take into account how our quick action impacts the workload of people we have the opportunity to work with.

• Sometimes we move so quickly that we don’t take into account how our quick action impacts the motivation of the people we have the opportunity to work with.

• Sometimes we move so quickly that we don’t take into account how our quick action impacts the overall retention of the people we have the opportunity to work with.

• Sometimes we move so quickly that we don’t take into account how our quick action impacts the personal lives of the people we have the opportunity to work with.

Sometimes we get so excited about the idea that we overlook the six months of work we are asking our teams to knock out, only to change direction again or hit pause before completion. It’s important to consider the unintended frustration that the team may be experiencing.

I get it - it’s tough - and I can relate. When I know where we should shift I get excited. I get pumped and I want my team to be pumped up too! Sometimes I’m so pumped I don’t realize they aren’t… and they aren’t telling me. (That’s a post for another day)

So… if you are sensing that maybe you are a leader with great ideas moving too quickly or pulling your team instead of leading them, what can you do?

Here are some thoughts:

1) Take 15 minutes to circulate your new idea with your team leads to get their perspective. Try to lead in this area without pulling them or pushing them. If getting buy-in takes two, 15-minute meetings, I promise a team with buy-in is more creative, productive, and efficient than a team feeling forced.

2) Kick off a “Skunkworks” team for new ideas. Make it a part of your succession planning program to give up-and-coming leaders opportunities to work on impactful projects that offer growth for them both personally and professionally.

3) Layer your new ideas into an existing project/workload plan to help manage the capacity of the team. Sometimes this can highlight a lack of resources or perhaps offer an opportunity for you to re-prioritize initiatives. Leverage the Insight Planning Tool to help every leader and team understand where to focus, how their contributions will add value, how to keep the project profitable and how the project delivers on your organization’s vision. Message us for more info.

How have you been able to stay innovative and nimble while also keeping your team focused and motivated and your organization profitable?

Frequently Asked Questions

WHO DOES INSIGHT LEADERSHIP WORK WITH?

We have been in the people and organizational development business for quite a while. Our approach works with small, mid-size, and fortune 500 leaders, teams and organizations. We have worked with healthcare organizations, architecture firms, banking, law firms, publishing groups, engineers, tech gurus, service industry pros, retail, and CPG companies to name a few.

DO YOU ONLY DO EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT OR CAN YOU WORK WITH MANAGERS?

We tailor our sessions to meet the needs of the audience. We serve leaders at all levels in organizations of various sizes. Our 201 Performance Management Product is a great tool for managers as well as the SDI 2.0 Inventory to help managers learn to leverage their strengths to become more effective people leaders.

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT TO FOCUS ON?

Well … it depends. Many clients take advantage of our Cultural Health Assessment to help guide the creation of a strategic talent development plan. We then focus on what the data and interviews reveal to develop a targeted approach.

DO WE NEED TO PURCHASE THE SDI 2.0 FOR EVERY SESSION?

Yes and No. We can deliver great content to your team without the SDI 2.0. However, the Strength Deployment Inventory helps you and your team gain a strong common language, self-awareness and an understanding of your team that truly makes a big difference in the post-training results.

WHAT MAKES THE SDI 2.0 Assessment MORE EFFECTIVE THAN OTHERS?

We have used DiSC, Myers Briggs, Strengths Finders, Birkman, Colors, Hogan, and now the Enneagram. We keep leveraging the SDI 2.0 because we have found it to be a validated tool that truly helps leaders, teams, and organizations improve quickly. The SDI 2.0 measures how you lead when things are going well and how you lead in conflict. Then it layers on our strengths and overdone strengths in a way that the other tools don’t. The SDI helps leaders sell, lead through change, manage, drive a healthy culture, and improve relationships at work and at home. That’s why we choose to continue using it! Many leaders say, “all assessments are basically the same”. We used to say the same thing. Anytime our clients use the SDI 2.0 or they immediately see the difference.

WHAT MAKES YOUR TRAINING DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS?

Laura and I have been developing leaders for over 30 years. We bring our expertise to each session. We walk you through a process to accomplish your goals. We don’t walk you through a canned program and pretend to solve all of your problems. We typically co-facilitate to make sure we can help you navigate anything you need in the moment while providing you a fun, engaging and interactive experience.

4 Tips For Leading Under Pressure

Leading Under Pressure 
One of my greatest fears is operating an Instapot. I love the tool, the quick results, etc ... , but when Meg (my wife) asks me to check the Instapot, I start looking for the vacuum or anything else to avoid having to use that intimidating device. There is a ridiculous amount of pressure and if the pressure isn't managed properly it can make a very dangerous mess. 

When we are leading under pressure if we don't navigate it well (and properly) we can make a dangerous mess. Our decisions as leaders impact the lives of the people we are fortunate enough to support. Sometimes the weight becomes painful. I love the quote from Max Depree - "Leaders don't inflict pain, they bear the pain." I'll tell you what - bearing pain can be intense and if we aren't careful we will inflict more pain than we were bearing. 

So how do we lead under pressure and not run for the vacuum? During the past few months here's what I'm learning. 

1) Never lead alone. Lean on the leaders in and/or out of your organization. Here's what that means. Before sending pivotal communication to your leaders and/or your organization, let your coach or trusted advisors review it. Yes - it's on you, but no, you don't have to go it alone. Sometimes you receive affirmation that helps you sleep and sometimes you receive coaching that helps you sleep. Either way, it's good. 
2) Slow down and you will go faster. If you make the right decision in the right way, you will head down the right path. Don't make every decision you think of. Don't send every response that pops into your mind right away. Don't get caught sprinting at the beginning of the half-marathon, you won't make it. Remember the big picture and slow down so you can go faster longer.
3) Commit. You've gotten feedback from trusted advisors and have thought through the decisions that needed to be made.  Now it's time to commit.  Commit to hitting start on that Instapot.  The pressure may build during the execution, however you've taken the right steps to ensure the end product is what will drive you forward to success.  When the pressure is on you, you can't just wait and see. 
4) Trust your people. Communicate openly and honestly with your team about the decision and direction you're taking.  If you have been leading well, everyone you need is in your corner. You are not alone. Let them share in the process as much as possible across all levels. When you need them the most they will show up for you. 


Let me give you an example of how this might translate into a real work scenario. You have a leader with a lot of great ideas and she's a great person. One that you would definitely enjoy a glass of wine and Instapot meal with. She trusts her team can do anything and that they are flexible and understand her intentions. Because of this, she shares her ideas freely and expects the team to jump in and deliver without a lot of clear direction. When the team has questions, the answers are sparse, if available at all. The team tries their best and when they come across obstacles that prevent forward movement, the leader throws out another idea. You can imagine the personal and professional conflict this might create for the group. Being a good person is a great start, getting the team involved is important for ultimate buy-in.  However, in this common scenario, the important aspects of slowing down to go faster and committing were absent. 

Here’s the deal. We will all screw up. We won’t get it right all the time. However, if we try to follow these four steps while leading under pressure we will get it right more often than not. You’ve got this. If you get stuck or need some help, just give us a call.

What has helped you lead well under pressure?

January 2020 Joke Answer

Yep - You are intrigued!

We aren’t going to waste your time. Here’s the answer.

Joke Answer:

A laughing stock! (Now that’s humerus)

Get it … That’s three for one!

Have an incredible day.

Rest and Reset

We all want to rest, but many times we forget how. Taking a day off doesn’t change our heart rate. Delegating a task doesn’t always decrease our anxiety. How can we find rest, real rest and actually reset?

At Insight Leadership Group we talk about “Finding the Eddy”. An eddy is a section of the river where the current shifts, forming a small pool of water in which you can “rest”. While on the river you can either find the eddy or start slamming into the rocks when you are tired. It’s the same at work. We can let the hustle and grind lead to exhaustion and frustration or pull into eddy to reset. We reset by remembering who we are, where we are going, how we are going to get there, and who we are going with.

This Insight Guide is not meant to be completed in a day. It’s a process and it should challenge you. Work the process and share it with your close friends or coach and get back on track to being the leader you want to be.

As always - if you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Leadership, Communication and Team Building Training

Sometimes the first question we receive from potential clients is: “What kind of leadership training do you offer?”. Leadership, Management, Communication, Emotional Intelligence …? The answer is yes, yes, yes …

The follow-up question is usually, “What would you recommend?”. I feel like a bad salesman with my response because I don’t always have a good answer. You see, we can’t recommend something to you without knowing what you need, but I do know that we can help you with your needs!

The third question is typical, “Do you have any assessments you use for training?”. We use the SDI 2.0 for executive coaching and to make each session and program customized to all participants. We do facilitate training without the SDI 2.0, however, the SDI 2.0 does bring an incredible layer of personalization and depth for long term development to each session.

With that extra-long introduction, below is a list of leadership, communication, and team-building sessions we have offered over the past few years. It is not all-inclusive by any means, and we regularly create custom programs as requested.

Leadership Training

• Lead With Emotional Intelligence

• Effective Networking For People Who Hate Networking

• The Art of Challenging Conversations

• The Art and Science of Navigating Conflict

• The Art of Relational & Results-Focused Leadership

• Insight Team Building

• Customer Service 2.0

• 201 Performance Management

• Nailed It! Presentation Training

• Leading and Navigating Change

• Navigating Organizational Conflict

• Leading With Your Strengths

Experiential Add-On Options

• Rock Climbing

• Axe Throwing

• Escape Room

• Build-A-Bike

• Top Golf

Leadership programs

• Arkansas Business Executive Leadership Academy

  • Build Your Foundation

  • Build Your Culture

  • Build Your Endurance

  • Build Your Pipeline

  • Build Your Future

• Rest.Hustle.Grind.

  • The Rest | Vision, Strategy, Values

  • The Hustle | Communication and Execution

  • The Grind | Ownership and Agility

• 201 Performance Management Certification

  • 201 Performance Management 2.0

  • 201 Performance Coaching

  • 201 Performance Next Level Coaching

Give us a call to talk through which sessions and programs would meet your specific needs!

Assessments

• Strength Deployment Inventory 2.0

• Core Strengths Inventory

• Cultural Health Assessment