Leading with Character: Let it Go
Last week I blogged about how to reduce stress by “going for good enough” in most day-to-day activities versus always striving for perfection. That message resonated and the positive feedback encouraged me to continue the theme. So, here’s another thought on how to reduce stress: why not put aside grievances?
Just Get Over It
The idea for this blog came to me while boarding an airplane yesterday. We passengers were lined up in the jetway waiting for those ahead of us to find seats. This flight was open seating and the flight attendant made clear as we boarded that the flight was not full and there were plenty of extra seats. He encouraged people to go to the back of the plane to help distribute weight.
As I reached the cabin entrance, the line abruptly stopped because a woman with a huge carry-on was trying to shove it into an overhead compartment right up front. The bins were almost full, but she was determined to sit up front and spent several minutes hoisting and stuffing the suitcase to no avail. I was standing right next to the ever-so-patient flight attendant and took the moment to empathize with him. He replied with a smile, “I get over it.” I added, “Yes, we all need to just get over it, whatever it is, and we’d be a lot happier!” His face lit up and we both chuckled. By then, a fellow passenger had hoisted the woman’s suitcase into a bin further back, enabling boarding to proceed. It felt good to help turn what could have been an annoying, stressful situation into something humorous.
Grievances are Harmful
Carrying grievances does no one any good. I’ve observed that doing so results in a negative outlook which is not only harmful to oneself, but can spread like cancer, adversely impacting colleagues, friends, and family. Grievances can be emphasized while engaging on social media. Ads are often targeted to feed one’s grievances, and as the familiar saying goes, “Bad news sells.” Some posts encourage readers to join in, amplifying and spreading the gloom. It can quickly capture people in a downward spiral of negativity.
Sure, it’s natural to be annoyed, angry, upset, etc, especially during turbulent times like the ones we’re living through. Forces at work over the past decades have led to the kind of negativity and grievances that have divided workplaces, communities, and even our society. Don’t be part of it. If you’re going to post on social media, strive to be a positive voice. Think twice about sharing or “liking” posts that impugn others, complain about something or someone, etc, especially if the posts are not backed by proven facts. Same with the workplace. Why not strive to be the one spreading positivity and making people smile?
Look in the mirror: How can you help your team let go of petty grievances that divide them and instead unite everyone around the shared mission and purpose?
Please join me again next time for more on Leading with Character.
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