A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor
-Franklin Roosevelt
I read this quote today and it gave me hope. It reminds me that difficult times make us stronger. Experience gives way to developing new skills. Adapting to a very fluid situation, problem solving, creating innovative solutions and working with others will lead us to achieve the common goal of surviving rough economic seas. When times get tough, try to view your challenges as opportunities. It may not be easy. Those of us, who are very experienced, must have the confidence to hold steady and bring the younger team members into the fold. Allow them to experience, learn, solve problems and have ownership in the end result. If you have a new way to solve a problem- speak up! It is your time to shine. Working on solutions may actually divert you from despair.
If we are blessed to have our health, our life, we owe it to ourselves and others who are suffering to do our best to take on new challenges. We must become a more skilled sailor.This will be a marathon, not a sprint. There will be exhaustion, brain drain, lack of focus. That ok. We don’t have to be perfect. We need to lean on each other and let others lean on us. We must be understanding of others. Lead with love.
These are big problems! Many of us are not accustomed to such daunting and simultaneous changes in our personal lives and businesses. Break it down, find alternative solutions and make it happen. What is in your mind is just a starting point. Make a plan. Execute the plan. Take it one day at a time. Reach out to people who can help you make it happen. Car companies making ventilators – who would have thought? If you know how you can help, reach out and offer. Others may not have known you are willing or may not have seen the same solution. Anything is possible. We can weather these seas with the right attitude. The shift is real. But we can adapt. Small wins should be celebrated. It will take time. A long time.
Hope, innovation and creativity will get us through this – together.