Notice how frequently politicians and top leaders emphasise their concerns in the media! However, we are not compensated for worrying or burdening others with it.
Future Fit Leadership entails the prevention and resolution of concerns, taking decisive action, preferably without unnecessary drama. Drama tends to be infectious, leading to more drama and hindering the achievement of agreed-upon results.
The Nature of Worrying
Worrying is an inherently human trait. Our primal instincts still alert us to potential life-threatening dangers, even though in 2023, we seldom encounter such threats on a daily basis. This evolutionary survival mechanism often proves troublesome in modern times. It tends to trigger a “code red” response (freeze, fight, flight) for everyday issues, causing us to fixate on the problem rather than seeking solutions. This fixation fosters negative emotions and drains our energy, leaving us fatigued and trapped in a cycle of worry, hindering our ability to take effective action.
Future-Fit Leadership
Leaders should be expected not to dwell excessively on their own concerns, inflate problems beyond their actual magnitude, or transmit their worries to their peers and team members. In plaats daarvan moeten ze in deze turbulente tijden helder blijven denken en hun energie richten op het ontwikkelen van een toekomstbestendige organisatie.
For many leaders, “letting go of worry” is a central coaching theme. We must learn to accept that a significant portion of our business and personal worries pertain to circumstances beyond our control. For example, the past cannot be altered because it is already history. And the future remains uncertain, as it has not yet unfolded.
Summary
Our innate inclination to worry about potential dangers is deeply ingrained in our DNA. Our brains, on an unconscious level, tend to magnify contemporary problems, making them appear twice as substantial as they truly are. Therefore, it requires self-awareness to recognize that, in many instances, worrying does not offer a solution but rather exacerbates the problem itself.
Future Fit Leaders are students of life. And they live and lead by this beautiful quote: The way you relate to the issue, is the issue.
So maybe you can’t change a thorny situation. But the way you look at it is your own choice. That is where your freedom lies. And that is why nobody needs to feel victimised.