Leadership and Change Management in Business | Part 5: Choose and Communicate

If you’ve ever endured a life ambush, you understand the common effects: The mental-emotional tidal wave can present very real physical, biochemical and cognitive effects as the mind and body react by default mechanisms to the perpetual stress. If you’re in the midst or on the verge of this, hold on. You may not know any other way, but there is one. This article focuses on the REACT action step “A.”

If you feel overwhelmed, paralyzed or crushed by adversity, and you believe that you are trapped by your circumstances, you’re in what I call a life ambush. In any crisis, being well prepared to handle adversity will be the key to overcoming it.

How many times have you asked yourself, “What are you waiting for?” Often, the answer to that involves “perfect timing.” And that may sound rational in theory, but while you hang around waiting for a threat or unpleasantry to blow over, what other destructive forces may be undermining your mission? In the real world, the “perfect time” to take action is always the same …

Of all that transpired to save my life during and after that enemy ambush in 2007, only two had been within my control. One of them, according to the medical teams who put me back together, was my rock-solid physical fitness, which had prepared my body for its best chance at survival and healing through the extreme compound trauma. If Physical Leadership hasn’t already been a consistent focus for you, I recommend you make it your primary goal starting today. Start here …

People are increasingly striving to cultivate resilience, balance and leadership in their personal and professional lives. They need to adapt quickly as leaders — especially through change and adversity. How do we best prepare ourselves to recognize and avoid what pitfalls we can and quickly and properly manage those we can’t?