There is something about the first time – the first kiss, the first time we live away from home, the first job – that has a special meaning for all of us. It is exciting, it is scary, it is all new.
The first time you lose a major customer, the first time you have more orders than you can fulfill, the first time an important employee quits…we have all those firsts in business, too.
When something happens for a second time, we feel so much more comfortable that we can get through the crisis, or adjust to the change. We trust ourselves to figure it out. We go through decisions trees in our minds rather unconsciously. To the team, it may look like you are a genius. “Oh, Tom, he always knows what to do in a crisis.” “When the going gets tough, ask Julie what to do, she always keeps her head in an emergency.”
It may be time to teach your decision-making process to the less seasoned folks in your company. Who in your company could lead scenario planning for your team and deconstruct what goes into your corporate thought process when the unknown hits? It is a great way to get them ready to handle emergencies on their own and NOT delegate the decision making to you as the leader. You are no longer the bottleneck to the solution. You can watch like a proud parent as your “kid” crushes the ball into the goal.
[The picture shows Abby Wambach pulling the US Team back from the brink in dramatic fashion – rising at the back stick to nod home Megan Rapinoe’s arcing cross in the 122nd minute of extra-time in the game against Brazil.]