When
Being Contagious is a Good Thing!
On
my last blog, I mentioned something about calm being contagious. I actually learned that phrase at the 2013 Leadercast
event. For those not familiar, Leadercast is a one day speaker event held live
in Atlanta, GA but is simulcast to communities and cities all over the world in
May. It is an incredible event that has featured prominent “thought leaders” such
as John Maxwell, Angela Ahrendts, Jack Welch, and Bishop Tutu on the topic of
leadership and personal effectiveness. (Please see Leadercast weblink below for
more information.)
During
the 2013 event, former US Navy SEAL turned author and actor Rorke Denver spoke.
He stated that during his exhaustive SEAL training, a veteran Chief Petty Officer
shared an incredible piece of leadership wisdom with him. Simply put, calm is contagious!
In
other words, whether we like it or not or think we deserve it or not, your team
members will take their cues from you! If you are calm in a crises or challenge, they will be calm. If
not, then things quickly turn into a hot mess! Sometimes in the leadership
literature world, you hear comments that leaders should be vulnerable. I respectfully
but totally disagree! When things are coming off the tracks, I do not want my
leader to be vulnerable and fragile. I want them to be decisive, confident, and
hopeful!
Think
about what you would prefer. If you or a relative was to undergo life-saving
surgery and something happens during the procedure, do you want the doctor to be vulnerable and
emotional?!?! How about an emergency responder? I bet you want these
professionals to be emotionally strong and able to deal with a variety of
challenges calmly and effectively. Now you may be thinking, I am not in such an
industry so we do not have those kind of crises. Really? I bet when the economy
took a nose dive several years ago, people in your industry were not so calm. Those companies and
organizations that weathered the financial storm and came back stronger, however, had
leaders who understood this very principle. That being contagious was a good thing when it came to setting a positive and ambitious tone for the organization.
So
if calm is contagious, what else could be? How about courage, joy, hope, and enthusiasm?
In a weird way, you as a leader spread the “social contagion” you exhibit. Look
around at your team environment, do you like what you see, hear, and feel? If
so (or even if not!), it is a you and you proposition! Don't think that even for a minute you are not capable of creating the environment you want.
So here’s
my encouragement and my challenge for this week. Model the environment you
want! Do so with absolute intention and see if you notice a difference.
As
always, if I can help you Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would love
to hear from you. Tell me about your experience with spreading a positive contagion.
Yours
in Leadership,
Bill
Faulkner
Co-Founder
– Out Loud Strategies
Independent
Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team TM
Leadercast
link – leadercast.com
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