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Here’s Why Turbulence Is an Opportunity, Not a Threat

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When you look at leaders like Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Boris Yeltsin, and Rudy Giuliani, the common thread connecting them is that they led with a cool and calm demeanor and overcame turbulent times. Winston Churchill was a wartime hero who led his country to victory during the Second World War. Abraham Lincoln was the President at a crucial time in American history, when he had to work for the unity of the country, and also against slavery at the same time. Boris Yeltsin handled an army coup successfully by facing it head-on. Rudy Giuliani, as the Mayor of New York, handled the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. These leaders remained calm during the crisis and set an example for others to follow. They were cool, composed, and charismatic in their leadership.

Tough times never last, but tough people do

Robert H. Schuller once remarked, “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” Rudolph W. Giuliani was the Mayor of New York from 1994 to 2002. He displayed his amazing leadership skills during September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on New York. At that time his popularity was on the wane and it was believed that he would fade away into obscurity. 

But the terrorist attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Centre brought his inner strength, potential, and character to the fore. Through his calm leadership, he brought remarkable strength and stability to New York when the city was clouded with uncertainty. He faced the crisis squarely, without losing his calm, led from the front, and consoled and reassured the public by building confidence in them. 

He said, “It is in times of crisis that good leaders emerge.” Giuliani outlines six skills to excel as a great leader. These are—having strong beliefs, being an optimist, being courageous, preparing relentlessly, emphasizing teamwork, and communicating clearly. 

Leaders must be prepared to face any crisis that may occur, whether in the shape of a terrorist attack, natural calamity, negligence within the system, or industrial accidents. Failure to control the crisis quickly may damage the organization’s credibility and goodwill. Whenever you are confronted with a crisis, be a part of the solution, not the problem. 

Of course, this is always very hard to remember in the heat of the moment! Michael Caine said, “Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.” Hence, when hit with a crisis, take a deep breath, look at the problem in detail, focus on the big picture, search for alternate solutions, shortlist the best one, and implement and execute effectively. Do remember that all actions may not deliver the desired outcomes. Be prepared for failures.

When you act calmly, you will find a solution to your problems. At the same time, prepare not just Plan A and Plan B, but also Plan C, and so on, to manage the uncertainty. Indeed, some leaders deliver well during stress and crisis as adversity brings out the best in them. When stress delivers positive results it is known as eustress. 

The importance of remaining calm in times of crisis

Leaders must control their emotions of anger and frustration and remain calm under pressure. They need to be seen as problem solvers in times of crisis rather than people who just complain. Staying calm during a storm will help you to come out with flying colors. The present global business environment demands not only soft leaders but also hard ones. When times are good anyone can be at the helm. When the sailing is rough, the real leaders and CEOs come to the forefront to sail the ship successfully to the shore. 

Abraham Lincoln is an apt example of a leader who led America during the turbulent times. When America had two challenges of slavery and the Civil War, Lincoln demonstrated his leadership acumen by managing all stakeholders including his political rivals effectively to abolish slavery and ensure the unity of America. It is for this reason that many leaders look up to Lincoln whenever they encounter leadership challenges irrespective of their political ideologies and countries.

A book on Abraham Lincoln, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin, describes how Lincoln related to people. The book describes how he brought into his cabinet people who were opposed to him, including three opponents for the Republican nomination, who, for the most part, thought Lincoln was a country bumpkin. However, within eight months to a year, he succeeded in getting these people to look up to him. 

His rivals were turned into allies because he had the confidence and wisdom to collaborate with the best people. It’s an inspiring story. Combining the perspectives of people from different backgrounds and with different viewpoints and expectations can be a source of advantage in the marketplace. Many American Presidents look up to Abraham Lincoln whenever they encounter political challenges although two more American Presidents are also equally eminent to lead in turbulent times—George Washington and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. 

Lincoln was a committed and dedicated leader who learned bitter lessons throughout his life mostly from his successive failures before he occupied the office as the first Republican, and the 16th President of America. Hence, CEOs must take a leaf from Lincoln’s leadership.

Be Bold to Lead in Turbulent Times

The real leaders emerge during a storm. And real leadership skills emerge during a crisis. The leaders who fail to rise to the occasion during a crisis will never succeed as leaders. Turbulence is not a threat but an opportunity to test yourself and help others to make a difference through performance. Kelly Corrigan rightly remarked, “Turbulence is the only way to get altitude – to get a lift. Without turbulence, the sky is just a big blue hole. Without turbulence, you sink.” 

Every challenge is an opportunity for growth. When you encounter a challenge the best within you will come out and you perform well. You get great satisfaction when you come out of the challenges. Tough times call for tough and quick decisions. Hence, CEOs must be well prepared to face tough times to ensure organizational stability and effectiveness.

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D. is the Father of “Soft Leadership” and the Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India. He is an International Leadership Guru with forty years of experience and the author of fifty books including the award-winning ‘See the Light in You’ URL: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132. He is a C-Suite advisor and global keynote speaker. He brings a strategic eye and long-range vision given his multifaceted professional experience including military, teaching, training, research, consultancy, and philosophy. He is passionate about serving and making a difference in the lives of others. He is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine. He trains a new generation of leaders through leadership education and publications.

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Success Advice

How Your Beliefs Can Supercharge or Sabotage Your Success

Your life is dictated by beliefs and biases that drive your thinking, behaviors, and decisions

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Your Beliefs Can Supercharge or Sabotage Your Success (1)
Image Credit: Midjourney

Pause for a moment and ponder two pandemic-era beliefs: First, closing schools will control the spread of a serious virus. Second, the consequences of such school closures—particularly social interruption and the prevention of immunity—are worse than becoming sick with the virus. (more…)

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Success Advice

How to Break the Cycles of Mediocrity and Manifest Your Greatness

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity

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Image Credit: Midjourney

In just a few weeks, we will be wrapping up 2023. Can you believe it? This year has been absolutely incredible for me.

I have seen amazing doors opened, new relationships formed and I am seeing dreams realized in my life. While this seems like the hallmarks of a great year, this has also been the most challenging year of my life. With all of the change happening in my life, I have been forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to grow in every area of my life.

I can truly say that I have made the most of my moments this year and I have used everything as a catalyst for maximizing my greatest potential.

As a revolutionary leader, I have the pleasure of consulting and advising leaders around the world to fulfill purpose, realize their greatest potential and make an impact.

I want to share some insights with you that will help you to break cycles of mediocrity and manifest your greatness

Everything legal must come through the matrix

I am sure that some of you are wondering why I am using the term matrix. However, what you have to understand is that I am trying to make a highly complex spiritual principle practical to understand.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, every life has an origin and I believe that origin is divine and begins with eternity. You are birthed from eternity and into time to fulfill a unique purpose and assignment in your lifetime and generation.

The matrix is simply the portal or vehicle that brings something out of the invisible realm and into tangible form. The problem with much of the teaching today is that it excludes the matrix. We are told to believe that success is instantaneous and overnight.

Nobody talks about how a dream progresses through stages beginning with visualization and ultimately culminating in manifestation. Without a matrix or portal then everything that you attempt to birth and build will be illegal.

The matrix not only makes you legal but it gives you the authority and power to function as the greatest expression of who you were created to be. 

Every matrix has an incubation process

While many people admire and respect me today, I remember a time when nobody knew who I was or the significance of my message. How did I get to where I am today? I got here through an incubation process.

In other words, everything that has been destined for your life is incubating and awaiting a set time of manifestation. The problem is that most people live their entire lives idle and never initiate the incubation process.

What do I meany by that? Most people are living reckless and very few people are living intentionally. I am amazed at the number of people I have conversations with that have no vision, goals or strategies for their lives. They show great promise and they have undeniable potential.

However, without development they will die with their dreams still in them.

Everything that has been destined for your life must be incubated and converted to become realities born to time. 

“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin to build.” – Robert Collier

You must give expression to that which is not yet born to time

When you think about a matrix or a prophetic incubation process, you have to understand that potential is often unrealized and untapped. In other words, your potential is in raw form and your potential cannot serve you as long as it is untapped.

The thing that makes me valuable is that I have the ability to convert potential into power. I have done it in my own life and I have empowered leaders around the world to do the same. How do you convert potential into power?

First, it is important to note that you have to perceive potential. If you cannot perceive your potential then you can never cultivate your potential. In addition, you must take the time to cultivate your potential. We often get excited about our capabilities; however, we never expand our capacity in order to realize our greatest potential.

In other words, the strength of your potential is only discovered through your willingness to stretch. The more we are challenged the more we are empowered to expand our capacity for greatness. Most of all, you must begin to express your potential. The expression of potential is different for every person.

For example, the expression of my potential is best demonstrated through the thoughts, ideas, products, services, books, etc.

For another person the expression of potential may look like a screenplay, artwork, sports, scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, etc.

Regardless of the form of expression, I know that you will live empty and unfulfilled until you make the decision to express your potential. The expression of your potential gives voice to your dreams, life to your vision, significance to your moments and activates your true power.

You must manifest your greatness

As a revolutionary thinker and leader, my work has impacted people around the world. I am grateful that my life is a source of empowerment to so many people. However, before anyone could ever benefit from my life, I had to make a non-negotiable decision to become who I was born to be.

I wish I could tell you that this journey is easy and that you will get there overnight. However, in a world that celebrates us for doing we are often criticized for being. As a result, I wasted a lot of time trying to be who other people wanted me to be instead of being who I was born to be.

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity. It is through our bravery to be vulnerable that we ultimately manifest our greatness. We do not bless the world by being a duplicate. We bless the world when we honor our difference. When you honor your difference you honor your potential.

Ultimately, your difference is how you manifest your greatness.

When you present anything but your authentic self to the world, you are playing small and you are robbing the world of your significance. Manifesting your greatness requires you to master your gifts.

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Success Advice

Here’s a Young Man’s Antidote for the Uncertainty of the Modern World

Why do a lot of young guys lack confidence in today’s world? 

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How to boost your confidence
Image Credit: Midjourney

We all have been told that confidence is a key factor in achieving success and happiness in life. But what is it exactly? (more…)

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Success Advice

Toxic Leadership: 5 Ways to Identify a Bad Leader

if you have a leader who displays any of the toxic traits, it’s time to move on to greener pastures.

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Toxic leadership
Image Credit: Midjourney

Let’s be honest, we’ve all crossed paths with a toxic leader in our careers at some point. Unfortunately, while some toxic leaders don’t even bother to hide their behaviour, some know very well how to conceal their true selves behind a strong-built facade. The latter is the most dangerous of the two. (more…)

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