You and I live in turbulent times. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines turbulence as upheaval, violent agitation, irregular motion, wild disorder. These words accurately sum up our world in 2008. For many of us, every day we feel the earth shift under our feet. Where is the stability, security and peace that we yearn for? It doesn’t exist the way we think it should. It just doesn’t. And it may not exist like that ever again. What does this mean? It means we have to look elsewhere for what we desperately want and say we need. As an executive, you must “get by” for your own good and that of your organization. You are a leader. What you think, what you feel, and what you do affects everyone around you.

You can allow yourself to be sucked into troubled waters without a survival plan, or you can integrate the following seven tips into your life NOW: ` Find your grounding center. One of the scariest periods I experienced in my working life was the time when my organization was at great risk of losing a significant percentage of its government funding. In truth, I shuddered in my shoes. The stakes were high, and my staff looked to me for the security that I could not give them. The situation looked bleak. The only thing that got me through that year was complete confidence in my ability to cope. No matter what has come my way for thirty years, I have relied on my self-knowledge of my steadfastness, my belief in a Higher Power, and my commitment to weather the storm of the day.

I have learned to flow more with the turbulence, finally understanding that strong resistance only aggravates the situation for me and others in my charge. I urge you to identify your rock and then hold onto it regardless of global, national or local circumstances. Take measurements based on that rock. Avoid being pulled in a hundred different directions. Listen to your inner voice; quiet the mind Stay the course. Your company’s mission statement and strategic plan are the direction. Remind yourself daily of your organization’s purpose, its primary reason for existence. Frequent rewriting of missions and plans is rarely a good thing. As fast as the world changes, you may be able to redo these documents several times a year. That doesn’t make sense for a number of practical and philosophical reasons. What does make sense is to be clear about the company’s priorities and classify the goals and objectives when necessary. You may not be able to achieve the fifty things originally described. Maybe meeting half of them is your reality right now. Knowing which half can mean the difference between stunning success and devastating loss.

Trust your instincts. Everyone is intuitive. Yes all. Those who seem to be more intuitive than others simply tune in more often and more deeply. You have to practice using your intuition, and eventually you will come to trust it. You will not make decisions without consulting him. Trust me; It is true. Instincts are visceral, not intellectual. To make wise decisions, you must consult with both your mind and your guts. Something may seem right in your head but not in your stomach. Pay attention to what you feel there. Go with it. Ninety percent of the time or more will be on target. There are times when, even though you are following the course, you know that you need to modify the strategies to complete a certain objective. Your instincts tell you events or circumstances demand it. Failing to make these necessary changes in the way you accomplish something can bring big losses to your business. Loss of profits, loss of employee morale, loss of reputation… Always review and weigh the external factors, and let them guide you as you go along your course.

Keep employees focused. Turbulence, particularly continuous turbulence, upsets most people and throws them off balance. Perhaps the best way to help employees swim the rapids is to clarify what’s really important during the chaos. People may not be sure about much, but if they are sure of the company’s priorities, they can focus and focus. Turbulent times actually provide an opportunity for staff to engage in great teamwork. During that terrible year of uncertain funding in my own organization, I made it a point to discuss priorities during every team meeting, as well as individual staff meetings. As a result, I found that my staff dealt with their anxiety more productively. Having a clear path to follow, they felt more secure. When they felt more confident, the quality of their work improved. People tend to fail to do well for long periods of time in the fear that there is no constructive way out.

Manage your fear. The best way to control your fear is to seek support from other people, spiritual resources, physical exercise, and spiritual practices. Pretending that you are not afraid or hiding your fear inside yourself generates physical and/or emotional illnesses. You really have to deal with it, or it will eat you alive. Also, if you become a half person, you may not be able to lead your team effectively. A diminished, weakened, compromised individual exacerbates the fear that already monopolizes the environment. You need to harness whatever strength you have and then develop it. develop it. make it grow Talk to people you trust. Hire a trainer. Take long walks. To meditate. Read motivational literature. Expect worship services. Pray. Start a new hobby that requires concentration. Whatever you do, avoid wallowing in fear. Know that destructive mental chatter that is allowed to run free robs you of the energy and creativity that you should possess in bundles under the circumstances.

Recognize that every situation changes over time. While many of us don’t want life to change, it’s a good thing that it does. Even bad things change. Nothing stays the same. Sometimes the changes are dramatic; sometimes they are minor changes. Regardless of the magnitude of the change, different dynamics are set in motion. A new vice president joins the executive team…a key employee dies unexpectedly…our Board fails to reach the consensus everyone hoped for…the company’s budget is severely cut…the US economy crashes collapses… Each of these situations alters the way business is conducted in your store. Any of these can happen overnight. When they happen, we have three basic choices: act constructively, act destructively, or go numb and freeze. What are you doing? What has been YOUR story? Do you need to choose a healthier way to cope with change and guide others through the change they fear? Open yourself to the possibilities. Although frightening, turbulent times often present us with opportunities we never dreamed of before. We are more creative and vibrant during chaos than during stability. Turbulence gets the brain juices going, allowing us to generate new ideas and examine the same old story from a very different angle. In that sense, turbulent times are certainly a gift.

A gift that we may shy away from, but a true gift nonetheless. Consider this: if we humans lived inside the blissful bubble of security indefinitely, we would have no reason to explore our glorious potential. We are not meant to stagnate. We are here to be stretched and, yes, occasionally taken out of our comfort zones. It is in turbulent times that we discover exactly who we are and what we are capable of. Turbulent times force us to be higher in the game called life. Are you more paralyzed with fear or excited by the possibility? What is the real YOU? And what message are YOU sending to YOUR team?