When we position ourselves as students of life, we can trust the universe is a master teacher. Of course it is easy to trust the process when things are going well. There are leadership tasks that allow us to "be the machine" and go with the flow. There isn't much thinking involved - we've been here before and can trust the process. When small bumps in the
road hit, anabolic leaders adjust and pivot in the moment, learning along the way.
Asking why, and looking for a reason those bumps hit, creates blame.
Why did this happen?
Why did so-and-so do that?
Looking for what is a practice anabolic leaders use to bring meaning to the bumps along the way.
What did I learn here?
What purpose do I want to bring to this adversity?
When things aren't going the way we want or expect, doubt creeps in. Trusting the process under adversity is more difficult. Catabolic energy can come in many forms when we're not trusting the process:
overthinking
second-guessing
getting angry with oneself or others
The 7th level leader wants to perform at his or her best at any moment. He looks for a lesson in each experience and constantly reviews his plan, his way of leading, and the outcomes he's getting and makes shifts as needed.
Reflect: How does trusting––or not trusting––the process affect your performance?
Share