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Leaders: Plan for Chaos So You Can Keep Control

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In business, there are two things that are guaranteed: change and chaos. Chaos here isn’t referring to the disorganization and lawlessness of companies under bad leadership. Instead, like change, the chaos I’m talking about is the unpredictable circumstances that come with running your own company. It’s this chaos that makes the widely used phrase “expect the unexpected” so befitting of leadership.

You can show up to work every morning with a tactical to-do list for the day, but before you know it, you’re putting out multiple fires and working on projects that weren’t on your radar earlier that morning. As much as we want to excuse these hectic days as exceptions, we know they’re not. The ‘unexpected’ is the norm. And if you don’t work well in chaos, leadership might not be the career path for you.

Consider the recent pandemic. No one could have imagined that in just a few short months their entire business operations would be turned upside down. While this example may be an outlier given how severe the circumstances and impacts of this crisis have been, it’s a nod to how capricious leadership can be at times.

These moments can be defeating, but expending your energy bemoaning the challenges of leadership won’t set you up for success. You have to accept that chaos is part of the process. Instead of letting it disrupt your day, plan for it. When you’re prepared for the unexpected, you’ll be in better control of your day, your employees, and your operations.

“No matter what, expect the unexpected. And whenever possible be the unexpected.” – Lynda Barry  

1. Plan for what you can’t control

Your company is like a sponge — it will absorb all of your time and energy if you let it. As a business owner, you must thoughtfully disperse your focus to ensure you’re dedicating your expertise to the areas of business that make the most sense. As such, it might seem a tad senseless spending time trying to plan for the unexpected. If you don’t know the exact circumstances you’re dealing with, how can you prepare a plan of action?

Preparing for the unexpected doesn’t mean you have to nail down every meticulous detail. That would be impossible. Instead, it forces you to be flexible and deliberate about every decision you make that could impact any facet of your company, as well as any projects that you take on.

Any time you start something, begin with the conscious realization that anything could happen so you can be prepared to course correct at a moment’s notice. Some suggest scenario planning. Let’s play this out. 

There is perhaps no better example than the pandemic. No leader could have fully prepared for how COVID-19 would affect their operations, but scenario planning helped some companies stay afloat because it forced them to consider how they could operate in a very different sales climate. Some leaders looked at the contingency plan they had for other natural disasters like hurricanes. Taking pages from their hurricane contingency plan and adapting for this new scenario allowed them to pivot and more easily transition people to working from home. This allowed them to focus on their clients and provide world-class client care without having to make too many internal changes.

You can never predict chaos, but if you’re adequately prepared for the unexpected, you maintain control over everything you do. 

“Control what you can control. Don’t lose sleep worrying about things that you don’t have control over because, at the end of the day, you still won’t have any control over them.” – Cam Newton

2. Embrace disruption

If you ask any entrepreneur or business owner what they wanted from their company before they were responsible for its success, I’m sure their answers were rooted in feelings of security and stability. You believe that once you get your business in a good place, you can step back and let it run on autopilot.

It does get easier, but it never becomes autonomous. It shouldn’t, and for two reasons. First, consistency begets complacency. And all business owners know that this is the kiss of death for growth and profitability. Second, it’s just not possible. Every day there is a new hurdle to jump over or an issue that demands your critical eye. Chaos never stops. You’ll become a more resolute leader over time, but you will always have to deal with disruption.

In the moment, disruption may feel futile, but it engenders change and innovation not only within your company, but your industry as well. If you believe that the chaos of leadership will one day subside, you are setting yourself up for a life of frustration. Disruption is unavoidable, but it’s also transformative. It forces you to think creatively and make radical changes within your organization that will set you up for long-term success.

Chaos is only your enemy if you never learn to control it. When you plan for disruption in every decision you make, you can command your company to surpass every milestone you’ve set out to achieve. 

How do you plan for the best but prepare for the worst in life? Share your advice with our readers below!

Beth Pradelli is Cofounder of NatureCity, a nutritional supplement company that focuses on scientifically-backed ingredients. Their motto, "If we won't take it, we don't make it!", stems from their long-term commitment to their clients in everything they do.

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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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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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