Have you ever been desperate?
It is astonishing what people will do in desperate situations. I might guess that your greatest achievements or worst regrets have come from a moment of desperation. And truthfully, we are all susceptible to doing the unthinkable when put in the right circumstances.
Because right thinking is such a critical skill for the leader, it is of utmost importance for the leader to be aware when their thinking is being affected by desperation.
Desperation is an interesting emotion, because in so many ways it exists entirely in our minds. That means your sense of desperation in any given situation may not have any relevance to me. You may be desperate to make sure you can get the right anniversary gift for your spouse two hours before dinner, but I’m not concerned at all, because my anniversary is six months away. So certainly, desperation has somewhat of a personal component to it. Yet it is not only specific circumstances that drive us to desperation, but also the level of control we feel we have in any given situation. In some situations, we feel desperate, but know we have prerogative to change our circumstances. In other situations, desperation rises to another level when we feel trapped against impending doom or seemingly unchangeable circumstances.
The leader is tasked with handling all the most difficult and heavy burdens of the entire organization. It’s part of the job and at some level the leader can get used to having their feet in the fire. But even still, there will be weekly and monthly “issues” that persist because we can’t seem to produce “the solve,” and pressure mounts from the organization for the leader to be the hero and do the impossible. These are the situations that push and stretch the leader the most, they challenge us to grow, and learn. But here is where the leader must take the greatest care: Remember that the leader’s decision-making ability is likely at its worst when desperation is the greatest.
How should the leader proceed in desperate situations?
- You need to be hyper aware of your state of desperation. You are making decisions daily that will have far reaching and cascading effects on the organization, perhaps for years to come.
- You need to understand exactly why you are feeling desperate. Sometimes desperation is this fuzzy, unclear thing in the back of your head that is pulling the strings without you realizing what is going on.
- Work to resolve your desperate situation. Often you will need a trusted advisor or a team of your closest peers to get this worked out. You may need to retreat, escape, or otherwise remove yourself from the situation in order to get clarity.
- Do your best to delay important decisions until you feel free from the pressure of desperation.
Don’t let this sneak up on you; often the leader is one pressured decision away from an irreversible course of action. Stay vigilant and keep your head clear…
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