Character is king

James Allen once said: ‘‘Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevita­bly bring about right results.’’

The only thing that is inevitable in the life of the leader, or in anyone’s life, is the crisis situation. You will experience crunch points over and over again throughout your career. They seem to be a normal and natural part of being an adult in a fast-mov­ing, highly competitive society. Reversals and disappointments are unpredictable and unavoidable.

Crunch time comes upon you when you least expect it, and in spite of all of your best efforts to avoid it. The only thing that you can do when you hit the wall is to respond to it effectively and well. This is the true test of character and leadership. Anyone can be positive, optimistic, honest, easygo­ing, relaxed, and personable when everything is going well. It takes no discipline, willpower, or character. But it is when everything is going WRONG, when you are threatened with financial or personal loss and you are seemingly overwhelmed with difficulties, that you reveal your true inner strength.

EVERYONE IS WATCHING

During a crunch point, every­one is watching you. Everyone is especially sensitive to what you do and say. If you are the head of your family or the leader of your business, your emotions and behaviour set the tone for every­one else. How you behave triggers similar behaviours and reactions in others.

In more than 50 years of research, Dr Edward Banfield of Harvard University found that the key determinant of success, hap­piness, and character is a person’s ‘time perspective.’ This was defined as how far into the future you looked when you decided on your present actions.

Superior men and women have a long time perspective. They think and project weeks, months, and years into the future. They look at everything they do in the present as part of a process that can have significant consequences in the future.

RECOGNIZE YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET

In life and business, your most valuable asset is your reputation. Your reputation consists of what people think and say about you when you are not present. It is the overall assessment that people have of your qualities and your character.

The rule with regard to your reputation is that ‘‘everything counts!’’ Everything you do (or fail to do) adds to or detracts from your reputation. It helps you or hurts you. It builds up your reputa­tion or tears it down.

In a crisis, when you hit crunch time, everything you do is exagger­ated. Your behaviour can have far greater impact on your reputation than the things that happen during normal times. It is during the crisis that you demonstrate who you really are, deep down inside.

RISE TO THE CHALLENGES

Strong people rise to the chal­lenges of life. Weak people come apart and behave poorly. Strong people take a deep breath and confront the crisis in a straightfor­ward way. Weak people become upset and angry and lash out at the people around them.

In times of crisis, the people around you need you to be calm, firm, and steady. You must be like the captain at the helm of a ship in a storm. No matter what is happening around you, you need to be calm, relaxed, alert, and in complete control.

Superior people continually think about the effect of their words and actions on the people around them, especially when the people around them are nervous or afraid. During a crunch point, you must go out of your way to calm and reassure the people who look up to you.

Refuse to become angry or upset when things go wrong. Refuse to criticise, condemn, or complain. When you express negative emo­tions of any kind, it makes you look weak. Complain­ing and criticising takes your power away and makes you less effective.

When you receive bad news, especially involving mistakes that other people have made, be kind, compassionate, and friendly. Resist the natural urge to accuse and blame people when they have done ‘foolish’ things. Remind yourself that, this too shall pass.

DIFFUSE THE CRISIS

Abraham Lincoln was famous for diffusing crisis situations by telling a story or a joke with a point. Sometimes, you can take complete control of a situation by telling the other people a story about something similar that hap­pened, and then reaffirming your confidence that there is always a solution to any problem.

One of the most important things you do in a crisis is to re­affirm your values, and the values of your organisation. Tell yourself, and everyone around you, that no matter what the situation, you will always do the right thing. You will behave with honesty and integrity. You will treat people fairly. You will not compromise your values for anyone or anything.

The foundation of self-confi­dence is a commitment to values. Based on your values of integri­ty, truth, honesty, sincerity, and straightforward dealing, determine the very best way to handle the crisis. What should you do first? What should you do second? How should you talk to or treat other people involved?

PASS THE TEST

Think about the solution. A person of character gets every­one thinking in terms of solu­tions and what can be done to resolve the crisis. Think in terms of specific actions you can take, right now. Refuse to discuss or worry about a past event that cannot be changed. Instead, concentrate all your energies on what you can do in the moment to resolve the situation. Get everyone so busy working on the solution that no one has the time to worry about what has happened.

In school, the only way that you can move up to higher grades is by passing the tests at your current level. From now on, whenever you have a difficulty of any kind, large or small, simply look at it as a test. Think of everything that happens to you in life, especially setbacks, obstacles, and disappointments, as a type of test. Resolve that no matter what the situation, you will pass the test and move onward and upward to the higher grades of life.

The reward for solving problems is that you get the opportunity to solve even bigger problems. The measure of a person can be determined by the size of the problems that are entrusted to that person. Never complain about a problem, diffi­cul­ty, or crisis. Instead, look upon it as an opportunity to grow more surely toward the stars.

STEPPING STONES VS. STUMBLING BLOCKS

Crunch points are inevitable, unavoidable, and unpredictable. The way you behave in a crunch can build you up or tear you down. Your ability to handle a crisis effectively is the most identifiable characteristic of lead­ership. From now on, whenever you have a problem or difficulty of any kind, look upon it as a special opportunity that is sent to help you to become stronger and wiser, and to be more successful and influential in the future.

Finally, remember that the best time to deal with a crisis men­tally is before it occurs. Resolve in advance that no matter what happens to you today or in the future, you will remain calm. You will not overreact. You will take a deep breath, get the facts, and assert control. Resolve in advance that you will behave as a leader, as a person of courage and confi­dence, of strength and character. Then, when the inevitable storm rolls over you, you will be mental­ly prepared to perform at your best.

Resolve in advance that no matter what happens, you will never compromise your values for any reason. You will always behave consistent with the very best that you know. ‘‘No, there is no failure for the man who realizes his power, who never knows when he is beaten; there is no failure for the determined endeavour; the unconquer­able will. There is no failure for the man who gets up every time he falls, who rebounds like a rubber ball, who persists when everyone else gives up, who pushes on when everyone else turns back.’’

BY CAPT SAM ADDAIH (RTD)