“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown” – William Shakespeare
In your quiet moments, do you sometimes feel like this about your leadership? Perhaps you are going through a difficult situation and you feel that you are all alone, or a crisis looms and you don’t know where to turn or what to do. Or just the daily challenge inherent in leading people in very difficult times. In such situations, it’s difficult to think about gratitude. Head hung low, you may be saying to yourself: what’s there to be grateful for? I feel that way sometimes too. But then I remember that finding things to be grateful for is the quickest way to raise up out of the darkness and start to see some light. It works for me every single time.
It may be difficult to see the opportunities to be grateful about the immediate situation, but you can start by recognizing and being grateful for:
- Supportive team members. Even if you don’t feel supported by them in this situation, can you recall support they gave you previously? Chances are, they have.
- Your clients. Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, was reputed to have said “Whenever you have a problem, ask your customers. They have the answer”. Be grateful for your clients and the insights they might have.
- Your mentors. Who has your back? Who is there to mentor and support you? Who has helped you in the past, and how?
- Your training and experiences. You have faced challenges before – what did you learn? How did you come through them? Be grateful for those lessons.
- Information. There’s a plethora of information quickly available that can give insights on getting through tough situations. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel – just google!
Being thankful stimulates a relatively minor shift in perspective that opens you to possibilities. You are now much better able to address the challenging situation with questions such as:
- What’s good about this situation?
- What are the underlying causes?
- What’s the impact of not resolving this?
- How important is this really?
- What are my options?
- Who can help?
- What happens if I do nothing?
Einstein said “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them”.
To shift your thinking, start with shifting your emotions. And the quickest way to do that? Gratitude for what you already have.
