I'd Rather Be Happy Then RIght
If I learned anything this week itās that we must cease our need to be right and then listen more than we speak. People want to be happy more than they need to be right. Though often they donāt know it. Be the ārent-an-adult.ā
Be the leader who can set ego aside and view the situation from a third party perspective. Winning is not the goal if itās at the expense of your or another personās self-esteem. Being right is not sustainable if someone else has to be wrong.
That doesnāt mean to suggest that trying to reason with the unreasonable will build alignment - that arguing with fools will get you anywhere. Sometimes we need to walk away and let the masses isolate them. The pain of staying the same must be worse than the pain of change. The biggest fools end up in a diminishing group and ultimately alone. Thatās pain enough.
Ask yourself this question before you speak: āDoes what Iām about to say advance collaboration or divide?ā
See into the other personās motivation. āCan I alleviate their...
When Another Person Makes You Suffer
Sadly, we internalize and personalize someoneās negativity toward us because we donāt see their suffering at the root of their behavior. We think itās us. Many of my clients are dealing with command and control bosses and colleagues who posture with personal agendas in cultures where bureaucracy and cynicism are the norm.
Know this - happy people do not hurt one another. If someone is disrespectful in how they deliver feedback they are unhappy and trying desperately to push that unhappiness on you. The problem for them is this fear based leadership never brings them happiness yet they keep executing the same way at your expense. They canāt turn inward and address their unrest. They turn away from pain with anger and push it outward either overtly or with passive aggression. Very sad existence for them. Donāt make their problem yours.
It is your choice whether or not to hear feedback as an opportunity and take positive action or wear the disrespect like you own it, entirely discoun...
When You Can't Let Go of the Past
In my executive coaching practice I see wonderfully talented clients suffer from life messages dished out by inept bosses, well meaning family members, and misguided colleagues. We donāt thrive when we are controlled from the outside in. We thrive in our natural mindset - from observing the outside world and accepting ourselves internally no matter what.
If someone chooses to be biased or unkind, their behavior says more about them than you. But sometimes we internalize the outward world and make it personal to us. That leaves us a victim.
The only way to deal with this is to build self-awareness so that you can see when you start to interpret other peopleās behavior as the root of your feelings. āIām unhappy because my boss never appreciates me or my family always held me back or my coworker triangulates the office against me.ā
Separate assumptions from facts. When you sense assumptions made in desperation from a mindful third-party perspective like a fly on the wall, you can c...
Hateful People at Work
I saw this license plate in front of me at a traffic light this morning while I was stopped in front of a church, talking on the phone with my daughter who is experiencing āmean girlā behavior at work. I decided it was a sign š and sent her the photo. (Also, it's not often that we see a car from North Dakota in Pittsburgh.)
Happy people donāt hurt one another. Never lose your executive presence and get emotional with hateful people. They hate themselves far more than they hate you. Their internal barometer is far more angry than you could ever feel toward them. Donāt become them. Donāt defend against them. Youāll only look small. Smile and say, āHelp me understand what you mean by thatā as you give yourself space to remember that youāve got this.
If you want more executive presence tips hereās a link to my FREE report: 31 Success Practices for Leaders in the High Stakes Corporate World
Your coach,
Mary Lee
P.S. Feel free to forward this email to someone who...
At first I didnt believe this.
At first I didn't believe this graphic. Be careful how you interpret your responsibility for an unhappy personās environment. I do believe as leaders we have to nurture our team culture and provide a safe place for mistakes to happen without shame. I believe we must encourage and be accepting. But when someone is stuck and their behavior is disrespectful and uncalled for boundaries are necessary. We donāt own or placate someone elseās bad behavior or it just enables more bad behavior. If we constantly need to rescue someone from themselves by making excuses for them or declaring that others do the same and cater to them weāll be rescuing and enabling for a very long time. And the person being rescuedās behavior will only get worse as will their unhappiness.
Itās not our job to fix the flower. Itās our job to create boundaries around what we will and will not allow for ourselves. We canāt change them. Only our own behavior. That creates a healthier environment for everyone.
If you wan...
Their Ego Versus Your Ego in the Executive Office
You know that leader who annoys you more than anyone else ā the one you canāt believe got to their level? He likely has a primitive and impulsive ego that needs to be repeatedly reminded of how wonderful he is to feel good about himself or heāll erupt, pout, manipulate or control. Inside is a little child screaming for attention who feels very unsafe. When that child gets triggered to feel the feelings she desperately tries to avoid, her behavior turns hurtful and dangerous. Sheās tired ā exhausted from the lack of self-acceptance that haunts her. Heās shattered at the thought that someone might actually discover how unworthy he is. Unconscious defense mechanisms are deployed. And worse yet, without mindful self-awareness she might not even realize any of this. So, she keeps putting on the take-no-prisoners exterior, feeling less than enough, drained and victimized. Sad.
Donāt engage. They are in the fight-flight-or-flee mode of a scared child. They will be meaner or more manipulativ...
Six Steps to Protect Yourself from Drama
When there is drama in our lives it involves other people and our emotional reaction to them. If you are miserable at your job, the situation likely implies a boss, colleague or group of people is at its root. If you repeatedly avoid situations you most likely dodge a person who you feel strips your power. If you commonly find yourself angry with someone, it is probably because you feel a need to defend against how they make you feel.
Donāt Personalize Their Behavior
We think people cause our sorrow. Not so. Our interpretation of another personās actions - our emotional response to having been judged - is what really makes us unhappy. We personalize their conduct. We make it about us. We judge back. We feel left out. We become needy for approval. Right now, there is someone personalizing your behavior that youāre not even aware of.
Recognize Your Own Ego
If you feel that another personās conduct makes you feel less than you are, thatās your ego screaming out for validation. Thatā...
This Week My Clients Are Struggling With This
As I look back on the challenges my clients are dealing with this week I see two common themes - difficult people and lack of clarity.
First, people are difficult for one reason - they are insecure and unhappy. That shouldn't become your problem, but often difficult people exude what looks like confidence. This gets them promoted to high level positions. That perceived confidence is a smoke screen to hide what is behind the sand they kick up. Underneath they feel unqualified, ineffective and ultimately that they may lose respect, their job and be alone. Knowing this your goals are:
- Consistently, make sure they know you have their back even though they will never have yours.
- Be in alignment with what they value. "Since I know this is important to you......."
- Stay off their radar screen. Don't play into their chaos. Don't meet with them unless necessary. Give them choices as it underscores their power. Don't posture to be favored. Let others live in the chaos.
- If you feel you are ...
Six Steps When You've Internalized Their Bad Behavior to be About You
So often we internalize peopleās negative behavior toward us as something wrong with us. If your uncertain about someone's pensive perspective on you follow these steps.
1. Schedule a meeting with the other person with the purpose of creating a better working or personal relationship. Do not handle this through email.
2. Tell her you hope you are wrong yet you sense judgment from her. Ask him what you could do to improve the relationship.
3. Listen for opportunities for self-improvement. Ask her what she believes her role is in aligning the relationship.
4. If after you have done this her behavior doesnāt change, she doesn't own her part in the misalignment or she wonāt even meet with you itās time to let go of your expectations of her. Unrest always lies in expectations. Having them is useless and out of your control. Goals you can affect are far better.
5. Release your desire for a healthy relationship with him and start managing him like a difficult person. The relationship may...