Luminous blog
Psychologists say a certain amount of stress is necessary, and even good for you.
Trouble is, so many take that concept to a whole new level – adding more and more stress to their lives until they reach the edge and, in some cases, fall right over it.
Interesting what our minds do once we slow down and take time out to reflect. I often hear stories about the life-changing decisions people make whilst on holiday – how they finally made the call to resign from an unsatisfying job, start the business they’ve always wanted, or sell the house and travel overseas.
On a recent trip to Melbourne, I met with Dr Hannah Piterman, author of Unlocking Gender Potential: A Leader’s Handbook. We were discussing the pressure women come under to change aspects of themselves when ascending the leadership ladder – even to the extent of having voice coaching to sound more masculine and, therefore, authoritative.
“That’s ludicrous,” she said. “You are never going to be as good at being someone else as you are at being yourself.”
It’s perfectly normal for people to feel outside their comfort zone when appointed to a more senior position – but it’s how they handle that discomfort that matters.
I’ve seen managers promoted to senior leadership roles who – feeling that they are under the spotlight – become so concerned not to make a mistake or be seen as not up to the job, that they fall into the trap of micro-managing everyone below them.
If you have read at least three of my blogs (because it takes that number to see a pattern…) you may have noticed that I finished each one with an opportunity statement.
Why? Because making a habit of spotting opportunities works. It has worked for me in business, and I’ve seen it work well for clients.
