At VIM Executive Coaching, we work with executive leaders at all stages of their professional development, and in almost every possible industry. Each client is unique in our eyes, and each has an “exclusive” view of their world. It is why we have learned that if an executive leader is looking for drama in almost everything around him, or “humor” or irrelevance for that matter, it will be found.
Truly, many executives live for drama in the moment. It is usually followed up by expressions such as: “See, I told you so,” or “I should have known this is where it would lead,” or the most ridiculous, “This is the result of listening to your advice.”
We are Not Powerless
If we look for drama in most everything, we are guaranteed to find it. We once knew an executive who blamed all of her troubles on listening to the advice of others (“I am so damned mad at them for leading me down that road!”). Indeed, we also knew an executive who found everything to be humorous to the point of being flippant (“I think it’s hilarious how much their stupidity cost this company!).
To both quotes VIM Executive Coaching would say: “Were you powerless to question or to respond?”
The filters we use as executive leaders are often like those who have wish-fulfillment type thoughts. If we view everything through a lens of fatalism, pessimism or even optimism, we will find it. If we feel powerless to change our fate or to view the outcome or to simply fail, we will fail. If everything we do is the result of blaming others for our lack of oversight, we will be defined by that; if we shake our heads and find the mistakes of those around us to be hilarious, we will be known for that too.
The point is, that we are hardly powerless.
What Now?
The truest of all reactions to all workplace situations is no reaction. It is the classic teaching. It is the “empty cup” of the student who comes to the Master and says, “I don’t know, please teach me.”
So too, should be the attitude of the executive leader in terms of knowledge. We are not powerless to make decisions but we must be open to all possibilities. It is not about the pessimism or sarcasm of reaction, but the openness of response. The ability to be aware of everything and to be open to all possibility and opportunity – or conversely, “danger” is terms of concerns and ramifications of having incomplete information.
Yes, it is easy to find drama, or lackluster performance or failure if we go out of our way to look for it. In fact, it is the easiest thing in the world to do. We can give up all of our power and reasoning and ability to formulate opinions or we can be open and want information and opinion and data and anything that will help us. One scenario is the full cup, and the other is empty.
In the end, if we are authentic leaders and are open to all possibilities, we will be mindful. If we are closed and expect the worst, we will get exactly what we want. Looking for drama is a guarantee that the closed-minded executive leader will find it. Please don’t be one of those people.