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Today’s headlines are indicative of the rapidly changing world in which we live. Someone posted a meme along the lines of, “Could we have just one day without a world-changing event?”

That sums it up well.

People at all levels are affected by the overwhelm and the sense that things are out of their normal boundaries of control.

And…they are.

But here’s the thing: we can’t control the world. But we can control our reaction to the things that happen in it. And, in fact, as leaders, we must.

It is quoted to the point of cliché, but it is true: “Leaders must learn to control what they can control.”

So, if like many of us, you are feeling the world is out of control, here are some things you can do to control what you can.

The Leadership CONTROL Formula

Center Yourself

When the pace of change is overwhelming and chaotic, do something counter-intuitive: STOP.

Stop, re-center, and recharge.

Take a walk or rest to recharge physically. Engage with family and friends, or, conversely, take time away to read and relax. If you study great leaders in history, you will find that, in the most challenging times, they took brief periods to recharge. And you must do the same.

Own Your Responsibilities

Here’s the key point: own YOUR responsibilities. You cannot be responsible for the entire world, but you are responsible for your part of it. This is not the time to give up, walk away, and abdicate responsibility. Recharge, yes. Abdicate, no. The world needs your strengths. Fulfilling your responsibilities creates a sense of stability – for yourself, your family, and your team.

Note Your Overwhelm

We tend to absorb more than we realize from the world around us – good and bad, ideas and issues. And our minds go to work on these invisible tasks. If you have ever awakened at 3 a.m. with your heart and mind racing, you know this to be true.

One very simple solution is to take time to write down all the things that are cluttering your mind. Use an index card, with one item per card. This does two things: it makes the overwhelm visible, and it then allows you to sort and prioritize.

You may find that many cards (and thus the thought baggage) can be discarded. The rest you can prioritize, schedule, batch, delegate, or defer. As a leader, you need your executive function to be at its highest level right now. And using your brain to make trivial decisions robs you from being able to make those with greater impact.

Track Your Results

Now more than ever, it is important to set goals and KPIs, and to create healthy, robust organizations. You can’t control the national budget, but you can control yours. You can’t fix the national debt; but you can keep your debt-to-equity ratio in check. Setting goals and reaching them not only gives you a measurable amount of control; it also increases the morale of your team.

Reconnect Your Team

Chances are, in the flurry of change and in recent years, you have lost some connections. This is the time to reconnect. In a previous article, we defined TEAM as Teachers/Trainers/Mentors, Encouragers, Allies, and Mentees. It is hard to gain control of a situation alone; but with a team, the possibilities are endless.

Order Your Environment

In times of chaos, the chaos of the outside world can pile up on your desk, on your calendar, and in your home in interesting ways. Take a look around. Is your work or home environment out of control?

You can’t be productive in chaos. Take some time to declutter and reorganize in a way that works for you. This lays the groundwork for efficiency, and it also provides a visual sense that, in your world, there is order. With order comes efficiency, productivity, and a great deal less stress.

Leverage Your Strengths

If you don’t already know your strengths, it is time to assess them and put them into action. And you will want to do the same with each member of your team. Strengths with strengths – it’s a combination that is needed today more than ever to turn the tide. And it starts with you and your team. You can make a difference if you work together in your strengths.

Action Steps

1. Review the CONTROL formula step by step. What areas need attention?
2. Walk your way through the formula, taking time to address each one in order.

Take a moment to contact us here at Strength Leader and share your thoughts.

For valuable resources on Leadership Strengths and Tools, click here.

Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after executive coach, mentor, consultant, and speaker worldwide. Deb is well versed in business operations and in the importance of asking key questions most business leaders won’t ask themselves. She brings deep experience in leadership development, strategy, high performance team building and effective communication. She has a passion for leading people to discover and maximize their strengths as well as those of fellow team members, while offering advanced strategies to achieve high performance. Deb is the perfect fit if you’re ready to take your leadership and impact to the next level!