I was walking our dogs this week, listening to one of my favorite podcasts, The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni, and got pretty annoyed.
Annoyed in the convicted sort of way.
Pat, Cody, and a guest were talking about stress and how people with each of the six types of Working Geniuses respond in stressful situations.
And that got me thinking about how I’ve been responding to stress.
Things have been more than a little stressful for me and Kiersten.
Thankfully, the stress we’ve experienced has been the result of good things.
We’re selling our house.
You’ve done it, I suspect, so you know exactly what I’m talking about.
We’re having a furnace and air conditioner installed in our “new” house. And since it was built in 1910, this job includes adding ductwork through lathe and plaster walls and all the dust that goes with it.
You’ve had contractors in your house, so you know how disruptive and challenging something like this can be.
If those things didn’t push our stress levels high enough, we welcomed a new Babydoll lamb to the farm.
And by welcomed, I mean we learned how to “pull a lamb” for the first time.
That was a new and highly stressful experience for both of us (and the mama sheep, Lucy), to say the least!
If you’re interested in reading more about that adventure, Kiersten shared the details and pictures of the incredibly cute Martin in her newsletter.
My schedule has also been packed with client calls, which I love.
These things are all positive. Things we have been praying for in fact.
But even though we’re grateful for all of these blessings, they still introduce stress.
And that’s where my conviction from the podcast hit me.
I haven’t been managing this stress as well as I could, and I found some ways to improve.
Here’s what I learned.
If you don’t always manage stress as well as you’d like to, here are a few things to consider.
We tend to overuse our strengths when we’re stressed
Take a moment and think about what you’re really good at and enjoy doing.
In what part of the work process do you shine?
Are you best in the initial ideation phase, when you’re thinking about what problem needs to be solved and coming up with ideas?
Or do you shine during activation, as you challenge and critique ideas and rally the team to get started?
Maybe the final stage of implementation is your favorite part of projects. Supporting others to push the work over the finish line is your sweet spot.
When you’re using your natural gifts, you’re adding energy to the team and driving progress.
But when the heat is on and the stakes are high, those same gifts can start to work against you.
Using the language of the Six Types of Working Genius,
- Wonder turns into overthinking and paralysis
- Invention becomes a barrage of distracting ideas
- Discernment becomes overly critical judgment
- Galvanizing becomes pushy and impatient
- Enablement becomes overextended
- Tenacity becomes rigid execution
None of those are character flaws.
Turning to what you’re most comfortable doing when you’re stressed is what every person does.
So your team is doing this too.
It’s natural.
But it’s not productive.
So what can you do about it?
We need to know ourselves and those we work with to be most effective
Like any problem you face as a leader, it’s best to recognize it before it happens.
You likely know when your work is going to get stressful.
You can predict that part easily enough.
Knowing how you and your team members are going to respond under pressure is where many leaders need support.
There are two tools I use and recommend to help leaders know themselves and their team members better.
The first is the Leadership Clarity Scorecard assessment.
This quick diagnostic helps you gauge how well you know yourself and the people on your team.
You’ll see where you’re strong and where you need to develop clarity across your leadership, your team, and how your business operates.
You can take it by clicking here.
It costs you nothing but a few minutes of your time.
The second tool is the Six Types of Working Genius assessment.
When you complete the assessment yourself, you’ll significantly increase your level of self-awareness.
Because the best leaders are those who are the most self-aware.
When you also have the folks on your team take the Working Genius assessment, you equip them with a better understanding of how they’re naturally wired to work.
With an open, honest conversation around your results and team map, you’ll begin to notice things like this:
The person who asks valuable questions at the beginning of a project is the same person who slows things down when you’re trying to finish by the deadline.
The dependable helper who is normally supportive and cheerful becomes frustrated because they’ve taken on more than any one person can reasonably do.
The team you normally love working with can become your biggest source of frustration when everyone is stressed.
The people (including you) haven’t changed.
The environment has.
You still have the same strengths that make you effective.
You just lose some of your edge under pressure.
And overusing those strengths starts to hurt performance.
By increasing your self-awareness and understanding of each other using these two tools, you take a significant step forward.
We can choose how we think and act when the stress builds
When we better understand what’s driving another person’s behavior, we’re positioned to lead them more effectively.
We can extend grace knowing they are being influenced by the pressure of the moment and avoid developing inaccurate views of their character.
We’re also able to act with consistency and integrity.
I’ll explain what I mean with a personal example.
What would it say about me as a leader if I typically told Kiersten that I appreciate how she carefully considers the needs of others and is thoughtful about her responses, and I admire that she doesn’t make quick, rash decisions.
(She has the Working Geniuses of Wonder and Enablement, the “Idealistic Supporter,” so I do tell her those things.)
But, when we’re working together in a stressful situation, I get frustrated with her because I think she’s taking too long to make a decision.
That’s a mixed message.
She might begin to question whether I was sincere. Her self-confidence could take a hit.
Then when the pressure is reduced, she might question whether I truly value how she naturally works.
She wouldn’t contribute at the level she’s capable of.
All because I didn’t understand her well enough.
That would be a shame.
Heartbreaking, even.
Having someone you work with not contributing in the way they’re designed to is such a waste of another human being’s gifts and potential.
Thankfully, Kiersten and I have both completed the Working Genius assessments and use our team map regularly as business partners and as husband and wife.
So, I was able to quickly correct my mindset and adjust how I was thinking and responding as she and I navigate this current season.
Those are the things I learned this week about being a better leader during stressful situations.
If you’d like a sounding board to help you through the challenges you’re currently facing as a leader, you can schedule a Complimentary Clarity Coaching call with me using this link.
Helping you lead with clarity and confidence,
Greg
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Greg Harrod
Greg Harrod is a Business Coach and Strategic Communications Partner. Follow GregHarrod.com to learn how you can build clear communication, aligned teams, and simple rhythms so your business runs smoothly. Greg will help you learn how to go from daily firefighting to calm, confident leadership by sharing his 30+ years of experience leading teams and businesses.
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