Here is some advice from 1939 from successful leaders.
It was in 1939, when the British Government created an advertising poster that simply said: “Keep Calm and Carry On.” It was intended to raise the morale of the British population that was under threat of mass air attacks in the pending outbreak of war against Nazi Germany.
The Keep Calm and Carry On campaign had limited distribution at the time and was rediscovered in the year 2000 when, since then, it took on a new life of it’s own. You can now see that very same slogan on hundreds of merchandising products.
This phrase, as well as being a memory from history, is one of the hardest and most important leadership skills there is to learn and develop: staying calm under pressure.
Not panicking when something goes wrong, and having the mental fortitude to listen, assess, develop strategy, and act when everyone around you is running around screaming that “the Sky is Falling!” is not easy – but it is the top job of a leader.
When I work with you, new leaders all the way up to well-seasoned CEO’s, one of the biggest skills we spend a lot of our time on is developing the key Practical Intelligence skill of ‘Keeping Your Head When Everyone Around You is Losing Theirs.’ Which is simple, staying calm under pressure. This is not an easy feat; in fact, it probably has to be the hardest mental and emotional challenge that leaders are faced with.
During your career as a leader, you will be faced with hundreds of situations that will require you to lead an individual, team, or organization through a tough scenario. When we humans are faced with a new challenge, a threat, or even a simple change, we instantly default back to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – that is, first: thinking of our physiological needs (air, food, water); then our safety needs (body, resources, mortality, family, health, property). It is the same all over the world. Most often, none of these needs are threatened, however, our DNA programming drives us to that basic level of thinking. This is when people need leaders that have purpose and a plan. It is also why history is full of dictators and autocrats that have taken advantage of people in times of chaos.
It is during the uncertain times of crisis, chaos, or change that people need direction. A vision. They need to know that they will get through the situation and their lives will get back to normal (whatever that is!). They need a leader that “Keeps Calm and Carries On” as the Brit’s said back in 1939.
As a leader, start practicing today. When anything comes your way that is different in any way, follow this simple model…
Everyday as a leader, you will be faced with a new challenge. That is the way it is. The leader that calmly leads under pressure will win.
