There are moments in your career, moments that suck the energy out of the room, pull the chair from under you and knock you off your feet. It’s like you unknowingly stepped into the ring with Mike Tyson.
Losing your job is one of those moments.
Everybody has a plan until they get hit. Then, like a rat, they stop in fear and freeze. — Mike Tyson
Before a fight, people would ask Mike Tyson, ‘What’s going to happen?” They were talking about his style. People would tell him, “He’s going to give you a lot of lateral movement. He’s going to move, he’s going to dance. He’s going to do this, do that.” And Mike Tyson said, “Everybody has a plan until they get hit. Then, like a rat, they stop in fear and freeze.”
With added business complexity and centralising of control, everyone is worried about losing their jobs. It’s easy to slip into a wartime leadership persona. Play draconian musician chairs, speed up the music to look good for their bosses.
This topic is close to our hearts at PERSONNA. We’ve seen this time and time again. We’ve helped clients through their crucible moments and seen them emerge a better leader — a more confident, powerful version of themselves.
Crucible moments definition
A transformative experience through which an individual comes to a new or an altered sense of identity. These are times when our character is tested. These are times of adversity where great strength is shown.
We’ve shared people’s transformational journey in the new book Sophia is writing, Dancing
At The Edge of Greatness. And we invite you to read it. We hope that by distilling the collective wisdom, it will encourage you on your own hero’s journey. Take a 10 min me moment, grab your favourite drink and enjoy the story; What To Do When You Lose Your Job.
I’ll also like to share the simple conversation frame I use when coaching my clients. This set of simple yet powerful questions is an invitation to shift your thinking to solve the challenge from the side of the solution. When done skillfully, it triggers creative impulses and generative ideas to surface from the deep unconscious. You’ll surprise yourself. You’ll say “Why didn’t I think of this before? It’s obvious.” You got this.
Are you slowing down for the speed bumps?
In the complexity, what really matters to you?
What is the narrative in your head right now? How do you flip it?
How would you lead this on your own terms?
If you sense your own crucible moment surfacing, we’ll love to speak to you on how coaching can help. You can also find out more about coaching on our website.
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PERSONNA is a leadership development company focused on the people side of transformation. We hold a simple belief that everyone is an extraordinary and powerful force for positive change. When you make work personal, naturally you become a better leader.
We’re here to help people become better leaders, build highly-effective teams, and create a culture of trust & collaboration in their organisations. We provide leadership branding, leadership coaching and group experiences. If you are curious to learn more drop us an email to hello@personna.me.