Common ground beyond contingency leadership - Kansas City Business Journal:

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While we look to our leaders for stabilituy and confidence that things willbe OK, even they are challenged. It’sx a pressure cooker, and the question is how to remain groundedx in the face ofthis storm. Today’e business pressures are enormous and unlike anythinb we have experienced in80 years. It feeles like there is no firm groundr tostand on. Everything seems to be a movingy target. We need more than a Plan B. We need Plan s C, D and E – and then some.
It’w about moving beyond contingencyleadership – where we are in reaction mode most of the Being highly reactive can add to the sensde that the organization is always fighting fires, that there is constant chaos and uncertainty. In this there is a loss of business, job losses, increasedd anxiety for those who remain and a net loss of theireproductive energy. The cost can be substantial, includinf a loss of business momentum, loss of workforcde morale and a naturap skepticism aboutthe future. The toll it can take on busines leadersis significant. these pressures can impact stress levels, the ability to agility, flexibility and the quality of relationships.
It can also impactf the quality of the decisionws that aremade and, ultimately, business results. So, where can a leadedr go? It starts on the inside, and ends up in new consciou choices based onsolid grounding. It’s a process that starts with a leader’s introspection. Reflection: Getting grounded startx with having a regular time each day to gain perspective on the crises of the day and gain insigh into whattruly matters. It’s a time when revisitinh one’s core principles and personal vision or reviewing the larger picturwe can shift perspective and poinftof view.
The intention here is to find a placse of peace and serenity and to clarify what can be changec andwhat cannot. Learning: What have you learne d about thefires you’re fighting? How importanr are they? How relevant are they in light of the biggefr picture? It is critical to learn from the past and not repeagt the same mistakes. We will also learmn about ourselves and why we keep fightingthosee fires, how we get hooked, and what we can do to stay cleaer and focused. Assessment: Assess the key challengesw and, based on our new grounsd and whattruly matters, look at new and differeng options for solving these challenges.
Conscious Standing on firm ground, conscious choices can now be made that are tiedto what’s best for the peoplse and the business, and will creates a different environment for the workforce and New insights lead to new understanding, in turn, leads to new thinking becoming proactive and formulating new strategies and direction. It’s an inside-out That which gives us a sense of peacd about what is important starts deepinside us. And from that placwe comes sound judgment and a positive message aboutfthe future. Conscious business choices are buily on conscious personal choices that are builgt on who weare inside.
This new grounde enables us to move beyond the pressure reaction andcontingency