“The buck stops here,” they say. The seemingly unanswerable questions land on your desk, the stumping dilemmas, and ‘no win scenarios’ require a firm response, and we are the ones required to provide it. Delicious adrenaline pumps through our bodies like a helium tank inflating a balloon at the beach on a sunny July afternoon when these moments arise because, as leaders, we are made for moments like this!
Bring em on! Right?
But these last few years have felt different, haven’t they? It seems like the ‘no win scenarios’ are multiplying, the stakes are escalating, and our people are dividing. Now the helium tank is pumping pressure and our heads sometimes threaten to explode. Financials are ugly, layoffs are necessary, pandemics are pandemicing, masks are mandatory (or not), people aren’t coming on Sunday like they used to, the Supreme Court is deciding, abuse allegations are proving to be true, people are shooting kids, gas costs half a biceps and a calf… I’m wondering, how are you doing? Really?
In my coaching work with leaders we talk about these things. We aren’t necessarily looking for the “right” answers, we are trying to figure out how to navigate situations that seem to have no “right” answer.
This is the heaviness of leadership, and it takes a toll.
How are you doing, really?
Is it wearing you out?
Are you getting short and impatient with your toddlers?
How many hours are you working (including the mind space you give to work issues when you’re at home)?
Are you fantasizing about getting out?
What pertinent information are you keeping from your partner (either at work or at home)?
Have long-term dreams taken a backseat to an urgent crisis?
Are you drinking more, watching porn, shopping for things you don’t need, eating for comfort, or abusing drugs in a banal attempt to numb all this?
Are you happy, or no?
I can help.
I don’t pretend to have answers to unanswerable questions. But, I can help you navigate them in a way that honors your humanity and values your health. You can tell me anything, I won’t be shocked, and I won’t judge you.
I can help. This is what I do now. I help leaders navigate the leadership life in a healthy and fulfilling way.
If you are tired of being tired, reach out.
Petebriscoe@me.com is my personal email. No one else will see it, I will read it, and I will get back to you.
How are you navigating all these intense leadership moments?