Welcome to the Deploy Yourself Newsletter, where I share what impactful leadership looks like to show your own power. I also share the most insightful lessons and stories I encountered in the last two weeks. You can also read this issue online.
Hey,
How to face and deal with rising uncertainty?
I often get asked by the CEOs I work with, “How do I make decisions when I have no idea what is next?”
This was always the case with CEOs, but uncertainty has gone to another level post-covid.
Questions like these do not have perfect answers. However, you can find an answer that works for you.
Here are a few tips:
- Accept that the world is uncertain. We do not know what will happen 5 minutes from now, leave alone 5 years. Otherwise, we could all predict the future (which we can’t). We cannot predict how others behave. We cannot predict how the market, economy, or society will change. Acknowledge that you can never get rid of all uncertainty.
- The bigger challenge you commit to as a leader, the more uncertainty will increase. And that is a good thing. That is something to be celebrated. It means that you are dreaming big and going for your dreams. Give yourself a pat on the back to step into the domain of “uncertain yet committed”.
- Having said that, how you interpret and respond to changes is always in your control and influence. Once you accept uncertainty, you can take action and start eliminating variables as you move ahead. The book, “Thinking in Bets” helped me see decisions as bets – which are often irreversible and imperfect. Trust the process without making things too difficult in striving for perfection.
- Zoom out and focus on the big picture – Remind yourself of why you are doing what you are doing. And that you are doing the best possible job given the current context. Do not be too hard on yourself.
Reflect on how you deal with an uncertain situation.
Do you ignore it?
Do you blame someone or something else?
Or do you try to take the next step in front of you? And then the next one? and the next one….
Reply back and share what opens up for you after reading this email. I read and respond to every reply.
Fascinating Articles & Stories
One
“When there is no focus and it is hard, It’s actually not a bad idea to slow down and take a break” – Andrea Fernandez
I interviewed Andrea Fernandez, CEO of Vitamin on the Choosing Leadership podcast. We talked about:
- because you are faced with making new friendships from start, so, You actually kind of get skills in how to understand people, in how to deal with different kinds of people, obviously languages and the ability, to communicate with people at different levels.
- I’m not doing it because I think it’s a fancy thing to do. or a, let’s say timely thing only. It’s like a trendy thing to do, rather, That’s the right word to use. It is a real problem in society.
- there will always be doubters like, there will always be doubters on anything you do, so you might as well just find the ones that believe in it and go for those and, partner with those people.
- I’m a strong believer that there are new ways of managing and leading than I think the ones that I have seen used many times in my career.
- if you have a person come to work and being fearful, uh, scared about the reaction of the manager or the boss, uh, insecure about what he or she’s bringing to the table, you may not get to listen to really great ideas that can change the outcome of a project, you may not get to experience a great team, an environment that can actually create different outcomes. So I think there’s much more to be done on that side still in the world of business
- I think children are a great source of creativity and like really, like it almost feels, um, weird, but when you spend time with kids, I think you really. Kind of disconnect from the day-to-day and therefore kind of a new window opens up in your head.
Listen to the entire episode.
Two
“Life is somewhere in between letting it happen and making it happen.” – Faisal Hoque
I interviewed serial entrepreneur Faisal Hoque on the Choosing Leadership podcast. We talk about:
- Life is a journey and you have ups and down, you have failures after failures, and then you have few successes, and then you have failures. So it’s never like a straight line.
- I’ve always been a dreamer, but I’m pragmatic and now I prepare for the worst-case scenario with a pragmatic mindset.
- Experience is the best teacher.
- If you want to lift others first you have to lift yourself.
- You can’t follow somebody else’s path. It’s your own unique journey.
- Inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere.
- Life is somewhere in between letting it happen and making it happen. There’s a fine balance.
- A lot of people think mindfulness is about – you meditate and completely emptying your mind and you get lost and as a result you connect with yourself. That is a method, that’s a formal method of practising meditation, and then as a result you achieve mindfulness. But, since you mentioned Zen Buddhism, the monks two activities they treasure and practice repeatedly is sweeping and cleaning and cooking. The definition of mindfulness is really just focusing on the present moment.
- Let’s not get confused that you can make things happen without systemic execution. This combination of mindfulness and being empathetic to other people’s needs and where they are, combining those two things, that’s the hallmark of new leadership.
Listen to the entire episode.
Three
Curated resources for your leadership
Here are my best finds from all over the internet for your leadership. Make yourself tea/coffee as you learn.
- 8 Ways Leaders Delegate Successfully – an article on HBR
- The Long Game with Dorie Clark – an interview on the Free Time podcast
That’s it for now. If you have any questions or feedback, or if you are new and want to introduce yourself, hit reply. I read and respond to every reply. All the best,
Sumit
P.S. – I am looking to interview more inspirational leaders on my podcast. If you know anyone I should interview, reply back with their name.
(Twitter) @SumitGupta
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