This week’s WoW comes from the ancient Roman poet Horace, offering a timeless piece of advice highly relevant to modern leadership – and especially timely as we watch the intensity of the NHL Playoffs! 🏆
“Always keep your composure. You can’t score from the penalty box, and to win, you have to score.”
Horace’s message is all about effectiveness. Losing your cool, getting flustered, or letting emotions dictate your actions is like taking a critical penalty in a tight playoff game. It sidelines you, diminishes your influence, and prevents you from contributing to the team’s success. To “score”—to achieve goals, inspire your team, and navigate challenges—you need to be on the ice, playing smart, not watching from the box.
How does this translate to leadership? 🤔
A leader who maintains composure under pressure:
▪️ Inspires Confidence & Stability: When things get tough (think a sudden market shift or an unexpected project roadblock – our version of a power play against us!), your team looks to you. A calm and collected leader provides a sense of security and assurance that challenges can be overcome. Think of a captain steadily navigating their team through a tense overtime period. 🥅
▪️ Makes Clearer Decisions: Emotional reactivity clouds judgment. Composure allows you to think rationally, assess situations objectively, and make strategic decisions rather than impulsive ones – crucial when the pressure is on. 🧠
▪️ Fosters a More Productive Environment: A leader’s emotional state is contagious. If you’re composed, it helps your team stay focused and constructive. If you’re agitated, stress and anxiety can ripple through the entire team, impacting performance. 🌱➡️🌳
▪️ Handles Conflict Effectively: Difficult conversations and disagreements are inevitable. Maintaining composure allows you to address conflict constructively, listen actively, and find solutions without escalating tensions – like a good coach managing different player personalities. 🤝
Think about it:
▪️ Ever seen a leader lose their temper in a meeting and derail the entire agenda? 🤬➡️🛑 That’s a “penalty box” moment, taking them out of the play.
▪️ Conversely, recall a leader who remained calm and focused during a crisis, guiding their team through it. That’s “scoring” the winning goal! 🏅
Book Recommendation: 📚
For those looking to delve deeper into the art of maintaining composure and leading with emotional intelligence, I highly recommend “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves. It offers practical strategies for understanding and managing your emotions and those of others – a cornerstone of keeping your composure and leading effectively.