In Just 14 Words, Colin Powell Explains What It Means to Be a Highly Successful Leader
When it comes to being a successful and emotional intelligent leader, committing to the simplest of habits is the most important.
Leadership and emotional intelligence are two topics that go hand in hand with each other. Those two topics can also become unnecessarily complicated. At its core, becoming a successful leader who displays high degrees of emotional intelligence comes down to fundamental behaviors.
And when thinking of leaders who exhibited this at the highest and most pressurized stages, I thought of Colin Powell. Powell is a retired four-star general, served on the Joint Chiefs of Staffs, and was the 65th United States Secretary of State (while also being the first African American at this position).
In addition to those accolades, Powell is the author of multiple books including It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership. And in that book, I was first exposed to Powell’s 13 rules.
One of the rules that stuck out to me was rule number one which consisted of 14 words:
“It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.”
Starting your own business, leading others, and handling the everyday ebbs and flows of life will inevitably present itself with obstacles and less than ideal circumstances. In these situations, operating through the difficult terrains with an empowering perspective is necessary.
Here is one key reason why adopting this philosophy will make you a more emotionally intelligent and capable leader.
Wisdom is gained through time
When I first started out in business, any setback or less than ideal event felt as if the world was ending. Negative comments meant I was a terrible writer. A lost contract meant I was terrible at my craft. A client experiencing a setback meant I was a poor coach. This could go on and on.
Luckily, through books and finding mentors who have experienced much more harsh circumstances than I have and come through, I slowly began to experience a mental shift.
In situations where obstacles strike and discomfort steadily rise, it’s difficult to objectively look at the situation at hand. Making a wise decision when you’re at ground zero isn’t going to happen more often than not. These obstacles look much direr due to emotions being in a heightened state.
Whether in business or even with your nutrition, when your emotions and stress levels are riding high, you’re more apt to make a decision that isn’t ideal for your long term growth.
The best thing to do is briefly get away from that situation. If you let some time pass, you’ll allow yourself the valuable tool of perspective.
“It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.”
Do you always have to wait until the next morning to address the situation? No. But you do need to allow yourself time to come back to an equilibrium state.
You’re going to be much better at judging and interpreting a situation after the fact rather than while you’re experiencing it. Πηγή: inc.com
