Please remain CALM!

Leaders are often placed, either by choice or by life, into situations that require them to remain calm; at least of mind.

My 2nd son was born recently and due to lack of sleep and the excitement of his birth I was a bit short with my firstborn boy.

I did not yell or scream but there was a moment when the dynamite wick was lit and I had to extinguish it.

I started my thinking: what should a leader do when the stress is elevated and the serenity is diminishing? I do not have all the answers but here are a few that work for me:

• Walk. Take a walk away from the situation even if the walk is only five minutes. Taking a mental break in this way has really calmed me 
• Listen to soft music. Rock music might be legendary but it does not calm the savage beast. Listen to some calming music and calm the mental stress
• Exercise often. Exercising has been shown to reduce stress and increasing an overall feeling of "things are good". 
• Read/write. Taking a break to read a book or pen one's thoughts can be a great reliever of stress and wanting to lash out against someone
• Sleep/nap. We are most likely to react poorly when we are not rested properly. The answer: make resting a priority. 

Leading is not easy and blowing up at someone is not an ideal situation. Remaining calm of mind can be a differentiation between the good leaders and the great ones. So...be a great leader and remain calm. 

Sleep

Sleep.

We need to sleep. It helps us to heal, recharge, be mentally acute, and influences our overall health. Experts suggest between seven and nine hours of sleep a day for adults. However, many live as though sleep gets in the way of progress.

"I'll sleep when I'm dead."

I have heard such quotes before and see the affects that such a mentality has on that person. I want to respond with "Keep up that lifestyle and you'll be sleeping sooner than you want."

Sleep is vital to our lives and it is vital to being a good leader. When a leader is rechrage and ready for the day, that energy is felt by others. I have felt energize by being around people that have energy.

The opposite is also true. Being around an energy-draining person is exhausting. It is as if a vacuum is sucking the life right from the cells in our bodies. I wonder if that lack of sleep may be the cause of some of this lackluster person.

A leader must recognize how sleep affects him/her and make an effort to get enough rest. Taking a nap for a couple of hours has worked for some. Others schedule sleep for the same time each day and are very careful to not let unnecessary items interfere with sleep. Find what works and stick to it.

People need leaders at their best. Sleep as if your leadership depends on it: because it does.

See Michael Hyatt's post on sleep.