If you are currently alive, you are leading through a crisis. Maybe you are leading an organization, a team, or a family. If none of those are true, you are certainly leading yourself. We are all leaders in every aspect of our lives and we are currently leading through a very long, drawn out, challenging crisis. I don’t know about all of you, but I’m exhausted from the pandemic, the vitriol around the pandemic, the political fighting, and the constant overarching concern about the health and well-being of those I love.
So how does one lead themselves through a crisis and thrive their way through it? Here are three steps that I utilize for all areas of my life to help me to live joyfully and empowered even during very difficult times.
Awareness
First, I try to get really conscious about what I’m feeling and experiencing. I do this without judgment. I own all the feelings which lately have included rage, frustration, fear, defeat, worry, and a few homicidal thoughts and feelings as well. I own it all, without judgment. Whatever you are feeling and experiencing is exactly what you need to feel and experience right now. Judging that won’t change it, but accepting those feelings will allow you to experience the feelings without having to react to them.
Acceptance
Second, I work to fully accept what is. There’s a pandemic. People are refusing to wear masks and get vaccinated. Hundreds of thousands of people have died and many more have been near death and will suffer long term symptoms due to this pandemic. My anger and frustration at those who refuse to wear masks or get vaccinated will not change anything. Those are facts. They are painful facts. That is the current reality. Me fighting what is only hurts me and holds me back from being the leader that I want to be. Radical acceptance of what is is incredibly challenging to do and without it, you are likely to have trouble moving forward.
Leading and thriving through a crisis requires awareness of your feelings, acceptance of what is, and acting on the choices you have no matter how limited they are. #stress #crisis #leadership #happiness Click To TweetChoice
Finally, once I’ve fully owned my experience and fully accepted both my experience and the reality of what is currently happening, I now have the opportunity to consciously choose how I want to move forward with my life. I’m in choice when I believe I’m in choice and when I’m ready to move forward. So, I choose life. I choose a mask. I chose to get vaccinated. I helped those I love to do the same. I’m choosing to be careful so as not to infect myself or anyone around me. I’m choosing to not argue with people on social media. I’m choosing to enjoy time with family and friends.
I’m choosing to lead my life in the way that feels the most empowering and positive for me. No other choice makes sense to me. How will you lead through this crisis? What can you become aware of, accept, and consciously choose during this extremely challenging time? What kind of a crisis leader will you be? Only you can decide.
Love,
Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC