I suspect not that many of you at all because as humans we tend to feel safer when we feel certainty. Our brains are predicting machines, and when we lose our ability to predict what will happen in a given circumstance, we lose our sense of being able to control outcomes, leaving us feeling vulnerable and exposed.
Yet, living in a fast-changing world which has been become increasingly complex we need to learn to embrace confusion and learn to sit in discomfort.
Many of my clients work in the finance space and they start their careers trying to find the ‘right’ answer, then they move to considering multiple scenarios and they want to control every variable, they seek 100% of the information in order to offer an interpretation or make decisions. All of this clinging to certainty can result in analysis paralysis and an inability to make any decision at all, or a failure to delegate leading to them drowning in an overwhelming volume of work.
Many of us were brought up to revere the ‘hero’ leader, who had all the knowledge and gave all the commands and we are still putting that pressure upon ourselves once we are in leadership positions, yet in a world of complexity and uncertainty no-one has all the answers, and it is only by working collaboratively and inviting all voices and experiences into the room that we can find new pathways forward. So at some stage we need to let go of certainty and go with ‘good enough’ coupled with a willingness to change our minds and change direction if and when new information comes to light.
So when we seek certainty and everything around us is shifting how can we centre ourselves so that even when we share with our team that we don’t have ‘the’ answer we still instil in them the confidence that together we have the resources to work out a strategy?
This requires you to cultivate a deep connection to your values, sense of purpose and a belief in yourself. This is where self-leadership begins, and it is the key to all great leadership.
Yoga has taught me that when a pose is uncomfortable, rather than immediately move out of it I should bring my focus to my breath and tap into my centre of gravity and balance – reconnecting our busy minds with our body and spirit brings us back to that to which we are most deeply committed. It is from that place of grounding that we can move forward with strength, humility and curiosity to face the gnarly challenges of the day.
It may not be yoga for you but I encourage you to ask yourself how do you find your centre so that you can be fully present to those around you and the situation which faces you?
And when there is chaos around us how can we come back to the question: what is within my control? (without that being focused on controlling others!)
with love,
Sue
Yet, living in a fast-changing world which has been become increasingly complex we need to learn to embrace confusion and learn to sit in discomfort.
Many of my clients work in the finance space and they start their careers trying to find the ‘right’ answer, then they move to considering multiple scenarios and they want to control every variable, they seek 100% of the information in order to offer an interpretation or make decisions. All of this clinging to certainty can result in analysis paralysis and an inability to make any decision at all, or a failure to delegate leading to them drowning in an overwhelming volume of work.
Many of us were brought up to revere the ‘hero’ leader, who had all the knowledge and gave all the commands and we are still putting that pressure upon ourselves once we are in leadership positions, yet in a world of complexity and uncertainty no-one has all the answers, and it is only by working collaboratively and inviting all voices and experiences into the room that we can find new pathways forward. So at some stage we need to let go of certainty and go with ‘good enough’ coupled with a willingness to change our minds and change direction if and when new information comes to light.
So when we seek certainty and everything around us is shifting how can we centre ourselves so that even when we share with our team that we don’t have ‘the’ answer we still instil in them the confidence that together we have the resources to work out a strategy?
This requires you to cultivate a deep connection to your values, sense of purpose and a belief in yourself. This is where self-leadership begins, and it is the key to all great leadership.
Yoga has taught me that when a pose is uncomfortable, rather than immediately move out of it I should bring my focus to my breath and tap into my centre of gravity and balance – reconnecting our busy minds with our body and spirit brings us back to that to which we are most deeply committed. It is from that place of grounding that we can move forward with strength, humility and curiosity to face the gnarly challenges of the day.
It may not be yoga for you but I encourage you to ask yourself how do you find your centre so that you can be fully present to those around you and the situation which faces you?
And when there is chaos around us how can we come back to the question: what is within my control? (without that being focused on controlling others!)
with love,
Sue
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