Have you ever asked yourself, or reflected upon how you behave when you are under pressure?
Most of us are unaware. We’re so consumed with surviving the undertow that we can’t see our behavior and when we’ve made it to the other side, we are so glad to have survived that we don’t look back.
For me, I have noticed that when I feel stressed, I get more impatient, and I can hear it in the language I use. I can feel it in my inability to listen openly. I can see it in the tense energy reflected back at me from the person I'm communicating with.
Knowing my stressors doesn’t mean that they no longer trigger me, but it has helped me to catch myself more quickly, and ideally, pause and redirect. I can apologize in the moment, if my behavior calls for it, and move on in a more intentional way.
When I am able to effectively manage my stress, I am better able to lead.
Do you know how YOU behave when you are under pressure?
How does that behavior affect your leadership?