Five Principles For Leading During A Global Crisis

A version of this essay was originally published by Forbes.com on April 13th, 2020.

Leading amid a global crisis requires a very specific skill set. First, one has to find a way to stay centered and clear, mentally healthy and strong. Then comes the hardest part: one has to be 100% focused on the most important thing — whatever that may be for you, in your business. Here are five principles to help leaders do just that.

Principle 1: Differentiate between what you can and cannot control.

During a global crisis, the biggest factors are usually outside of your control. Rather than fixate on the newest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the latest dips in the stock market, try focusing on what you can control. What’s your cash position? Operating expense ratio? Days sales outstanding? Quick ratio? How many client interactions has your team had this week? Have you modeled or re-forecasted to prepare for the unknown?

Do a SWOT analysis for your company. Then, cross off everything that’s outside of your control. This should illuminate where to focus your energy.

Principle 2: Protect your mind.

“Where your awareness goes, your energy flows” is a concept I learned from the Hindu priest Dandapani. He explained that every day we have a finite amount of time and energy. Every moment you spend staring at your iPhone and surfing the web, fixated on your favorite news sites, and refreshing your Instagram feed, is time you’re not spending working on your most important thing — time you’re not spending protecting your company. It’s not healthy.

“Where your awareness goes, your energy flows” — Dandapani

Here are two tips for how to safeguard your mind:

• Use your smartphone to set limits for your internet, news, entertainment and social media use. Block specific websites you may have a hard time avoiding. And if you want to get really crazy, you can turn your screen to Grayscale, so it’s less exciting to look at. Remember, these devices are designed to distract you.

• Don’t start or end your day reading the news. Research proves it can be bad for mental health, productivity and it can inhibit happiness — especially during a global crisis.

Many successful people throughout history and today people begin their days with intentional morning routines. Exercising, reading, journaling, praying or meditating, doing yoga, hydrating and eating a healthy meal are the core components on almost every list. Need help getting started? Check out Hal Elrod’s The Miracle Morning for a framework.

That said, most concerned human beings want to know what’s going on in the world. I get it. Try giving yourself 30 minutes in the middle of the day to catch up on news, and limit yourself to only two or three sources so you’re not endlessly surfing the internet.

Principle 3: Know the difference between facts and analysis.

“Today I escaped from the crush of circumstances, or better put, I threw them out, for the crush wasn’t from outside of me but in my own assumptions.” — Marcus Aurelius

Believe it or not, news headlines cannot ruin your day. Similarly, your email inbox cannot overwhelm you. These are external things that don’t actually have access to your thoughts. They cannot control your mind, nor can they control what you think or how you act. Those emotions you feel, as real as they are, come from within you — not from anywhere else.

“Believe it or not, news headlines cannot ruin your day… These are external things that don’t actually have access to your thoughts. They cannot control your mind, nor can they control what you think or how you act.”

Author Byron Katie explains that pain and suffering abound when we believe our stressful thoughts. Before believing the story you tell yourself, ask whether it’s true. Is it observable? Is it absolutely, without a doubt, true?

The human mind manufactures endless stories, analyses and conclusions all day long. If you choose to believe all of it, that’s on you. You can’t blame external factors for the way you feel and the thoughts you think.

The next time your mind spins out or your emotions crash over you, ask what is true. Seek out the facts. Set your internal theories and analyses aside for a moment, and be objective, like a scientist in a lab. What’s true? What is undeniably factual?

Similarly, be on guard for the stories and analyses of others too. Since the beginning of the current global crisis, my phone has constantly blown up with links, posts, videos, and wild stories from friends and social media. There’s an unusually high number of fear-mongers today, many of whom manufacture every type and variety of worst-case scenario available. Fear sells. It hijacks our emotions, steals our attention and wastes our time. Be on the lookout for facts commingled with stories.

We choose our perceptions, our stories, our commentary and our analysis. We create them or borrow them from others. We choose how we see something and how we react to something. We choose what we believe. When we become aware of our choice in these things, we gain freedom and power.

Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication framework does a wonderful job of presenting the difference between observable facts and analysis/evaluation.

Principle 4: Find peer mentors and confer with them often.

The global crisis has been plenty isolating. Make time to connect with your peer mentors often. Use Zoom, Google Hangouts, FaceTime or whatever works best for you. It’s critical to “meet” more frequently during these times. Pay no mind to your camera quality — what matters is actually seeing each other’s faces, speaking candidly, sharing experiences and encouraging one another.

Business groups like the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (of which I’m a member) and the Young Presidents’ Organization foster peer mentorship. These organizations have something called forums — small groups for sharing experiences, accountability and support. I have a forum composed of seven of the most brilliant business minds in my world. Since the onset of the current global crisis, we “meet” weekly, knowing that in these challenging times, we must draw closer and lean into one another more often.

And give that classic “Man in the Arena” speech by Teddy Roosevelt another read. During a time of crisis leaders really have to tune-out the haters and nay sayers. It’s a time to truly lean into your peers, other leaders, especially those with similar skin in the game, peers who are actually in the arena of leadership and have experience leading in challenging times, making tough calls that impact dozens of people. 

Thank you, Brené Brown for bringing this back to the mainstream. This talk is brilliant.

Principle 5: Default to action.

Under normal circumstances, it’s perfectly fine, and often better, to take more time in making big decisions. During a global crisis however, acting slowly can mean bleeding cash and, ultimately, death for a business. As you read this, businesses in retail, hospitality, travel and other industries are going from healthy financials to the dead zone in a matter of days. For leaders, taking too long to reduce expenses can mean bankruptcy. In a crisis like this one, it’s critical to know your vital signs and act swiftly. And remember — a reduction in a critical expense line can be a temporary thing  —  something to help your company weather a storm. 

The principle of defaulting to action applies beyond just managing a company’s vital signs. During a crisis, it’s critical to move a little faster and be a little more action-oriented in everything you do. Do you have some critical moves you’ve been meaning to make in your business? Maybe you have a big personnel move you’ve been planning for? Is there an innovation or a new capability that needs an extra push to get it launched? Default to action. Get out of your head, stop waiting, and just do it. You can always iterate, change course or optimize as you go. But those who get caught in a crisis like a deer in headlights run the risk of getting passed by competitors who see crisis as an opportunity. As Amelia Earhart famously said, “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do.“

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do.“ — Amelia Earhart

A crisis can be a defining moment for leaders. In these times, it’s critical to not spend too much time in your own head. Practice these principles to stay centered, focus only on what you can control, separate facts from analysis and default to action whenever possible.

RW

A version of this essay was originally published by Forbes.com on April 13th, 2020.

*This is yet another essay in-part inspired by my friends Mario and Chris — please check out their work too. We believe the process of public writing helps us learn, grow and improves our lives too. We call ourselves the Western Writers League and someday we might make hats with a fun logo.

Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life…is bullsh*t

Recently, a friend of mine, Brianne Mees — brilliant leader and co-founder of Tender Loving Empire — shared something with me that’s been on my mind ever since.  She explained that, in her opinion, the popular saying, “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” is bullshit. It’s a fantasy and a lie that’s misled and confused an entire generation of young people — many of whom are entering the workforce right now. Brianne explained that to truly find, pursue and live one’s passion, there will always be a counterweight of pain and suffering. It’s unavoidable. If you’re able to find your passion, and if you’re able to actually do your passion as your main gig or career, or even as a side hustle, you’d sure as heck better expect there will be some suffering, storms, a LOT of hard work, and some seasons of deep, dark adversity, too. 

This counterweight concept Brianne shared has no doubt been true in my own life. And I’ve yet to read a single biography or hear from someone I know who’s successful and “loves what they do” that doesn’t have the ever-present counterweight of suffering as a constant factor in their story. There’s no way around it.

Thinking on more of a meta-level, I wonder if any measure of greatness or success is achievable without the counterweight? I ask this because I’m surprised by how often I encounter people who seem to expect to achieve success or greatness without the counterweight. It’s as if they truly believe that silly saying.

I see it most frequently in 20-somethings navigating the beginnings of their career, who after a year or two in an entry-level role, complain that their work is mundane or unsatisfying, and express frustration when a promotion doesn’t happen as quickly as they want. They either get impatient and jump ship after a year or two… or sometimes they just get increasingly louder, voicing their complaints and frustrations more and more until it breeds negativity and some kind of intervention is needed.

While I truly love the drive and the fire in the belly these types of people exhibit, I’m fascinated by the on-demand, instant gratification mindset and pain-free expectations so many seem to live by. It’s as if some can’t fathom the thought of taking two, three, or more years to learn, develop, and deeply master a role before moving on to something else. There’s a desire and expectation to have it all right now, unwilling to slow down to take the time and walk through the fire and experience some adversity — these are prerequisites to grow and rise to any real level of success and achievement. It’s as if some weren’t anticipating any pain or discomfort along the way. They’re unaware of the counterweight. My colleague at Marmoset, Rachel Schmidt, likes to remind me of this quote: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison

The truth of the matter is, there are no shortcuts. There’s no express route or fast lane to achieving great things, whether in a career or a side hustle. And there’s no way to avoid the pain and suffering that happens along the way either — which sometimes means enduring a role for a while that may feel mundane or isn’t very challenging. It’s all connected and part of the journey. This is the nature of life. The uncomfortable part that may be frustrating or painful is often, in hindsight, a necessary chapter in everyone’s story. It may not make sense while you’re in the middle of it… but upon reflection years later, I almost always find that there was something beneficial that needed to be learned, no matter how painful or how dark the experience may have been. That’s my story. And as a leader, I see too many young people start out on their path, and when the journey gets long… when it gets hard and isn’t fun… when pain and suffering occur… they so quickly get bummed-out, frustrated, discouraged and impatient — and don’t have reasonable expectations about what it takes. They haven’t prepared for the counterweight, so they hit the eject button.

Even worse — after you hit the eject button a couple of times, you risk losing the power of resiliency — the most critical power to develop and master in order to achieve what you want to achieve in life.

My friend and peer mentor, Mario Schulzke, recently shared an essay about his passion project. You can read about it here. Most fascinating to me, he reflected upon the ten years he’s been pursuing this particular passion, and he confessed it’s been about 51% fun and about 49% terrible. Whoa.

Mario explained how mundane and hard his passion project has been, and how at times he’s felt completely stuck. Yet he sticks with it and he finds a way to appreciate, and sometimes even love the process. Mario knows the counterweight quite well. A German immigrant raised by a single parent and meager means, he’s been mindful of the counterbalance concept his entire life. In fact, I know Mario is always expecting it — he’s anticipating it and always preparing for it.  In Mario’s words, “Giving up is easy.  You need time. You need staying power. You need to keep going when things get hard.”

I agree with Mario. And I agree with Brianne, too. “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” …truly is bullshit. Life’s counterweight is real.

How you prepare for it and how you respond to it is what ultimately determines the arc of your story. It defines who you are.

- RW

--> This essay is part of a series published in collaboration with The Western Writers League. Take a few minutes to explore my peers’s work as well.

The Steelhead Bath by Chris Corbin

How To Keep Going On Your Side Project When Things Get Hard by Mario Schulzke

Magic Popsicles and the Importance of Taking Breaks

A version of this essay was originally published by Forbes.com on August 8th, 2019

My family and I recently enjoyed three nights at a Japanese onsen resort on the bank of Lake Chuzenji, tucked away in the mountains of Nikko National Park, Japan. This onsen, and others like it, exist because of the natural hot springs in the region. The water from these hot springs — which has long been believed to have healing and rejuvenating properties — is piped into pools for resort guests to enjoy. These pools are known as onsens.

Lake Chuzenji, Nikko National Park, Japan

Steeped in tradition, Kai Nikko is a place where people go to rest, relax and rejuvenate in the water from the hot springs. I was deeply struck by how simple and minimal the place was — yet so beautifully ornate and full of meaning. The pace is intentionally slow, and the vibe is wonderfully quiet, contemplative and mellow. 

Upon arrival, they showed us where to store our shoes and gave us a yukata and sandals to wear for the duration of our stay. The pace is intentionally slow and the vibe is wonderfully quiet, contemplative and mellow throughout the resort.

Kai Nikko Resort, at Lake Chuzenji, Japan

While staying at the resort, we enjoyed the ritual of visiting the onsens three times a day, for 10 minutes at a time, each occasion providing a welcome break in the day. There’s something special about a ritual of interrupting the day to soak, rest, be quiet and delve into a relaxed, meditative self-care experience. It really spoke to me — it was so simple, yet such a powerful experience. And at the same time, it was such a foreign concept to our daily lives back home.

Typically onsens have gender separated soaking pools, sometimes indoors and sometimes outdoors, highlighting unique Japanese design aesthetics. The pools are about two feet deep and vary in style and design. I was surprised to learn people traditionally soak for only about ten minutes at a time. Custom also dictates a quiet, almost meditative kind of experience. No devices. No talking. No splashing around. Just a time to relax and be still.

An onsen at Kai Nikko Resort at Lake Chuzenji, Japan

This particular onsen includes a surprise for guests in its lounge area outside the dressing rooms. Adjacent to the giant pastel-colored beanbag chairs that are scattered about on a slightly elevated platform is a small, unassuming wood-paneled freezer full of popsicles. I’ll never forget that little freezer of popsicles. 

As I peeled the plastic wrapper off, holding the small wooden stick in my hand, I fell back into an oversized beanbag chair. For a moment, I was in a dreamy, childlike state, and I wasn’t alone. As I looked around, I saw people of every kind — children, parents and even seniors — all reclining in beanbags while enjoying a popsicle with pure delight on their faces. So many smiles. So much joy.

Reflecting on the experience, it would’ve been too easy for people to exit the pools and just return to their busy days. But the resort has created an unexpected opportunity with the beanbag chairs and popsicles. It’s as if they created a portal to a magical place where busy, focused, highly productive adults rarely venture.  

The freezer full of Magic Popsicles at Kai Onsen resort in Japan.

The magic popsicles call out, like sirens to Ulysses, beckoning passersby to slow down, sink deep into the chairs and do nothing but enjoy a simple treat. Somewhere amidst the simplest of life’s experiences, I discovered a little something for my soul. And maybe a life lesson for all leaders and high achievers.

Consider this: How often do you go for a midday soak in a pool? How often do you sink deep into a comfy chair to enjoy a popsicle? How often do get up from your desk to create a little break in the day? What’s holding you back? What’s the story you’re telling yourself? 

According to Psychology Today, “working for long stretches without breaks leads to stress and exhaustion.” When I stop to think deeply about it, I wonder if maybe we’ve all gone mad. I traveled halfway around the world to experience the revelation of a 10-minute midday soak. I crossed more than half a dozen time zones to encounter a freezer of popsicles. I don’t think it should be this hard. 

As I type this, the sun beckons me to step outside and take a short walk to a juice truck parked down the street. When I quiet my mind, I notice a subtle, mysterious force reaching out to me and encouraging me to take a little time amidst my busy day to unplug and reset. Time to walk. Time to sit and be still. Time to close my eyes and daydream. 

When’s the last time you intentionally daydreamed? What’s stopping you?

Why do we sit at our desks so much, staring into glowing screens? Why do we let bottomless email inboxes give us stress and hold us hostage? Why do we hold so tightly to our cell phones all day? Why does it seem impossible to take a break and go for a short walk? Why does a popsicle break sound so ridiculous?

More importantly, what if we didn’t live this way? Are we evolving or are we devolving? What if we made more time for walks, soaks and popsicles? How might it impact the quality of our work? How might it improve the quality of our lives? 

One writer summarized the benefits of taking breaks in this Scientific American article: “Downtime replenishes the brain’s stores of attention and motivation, encourages productivity and creativity, and is essential to both achieve our highest levels of performance and simply form stable memories in everyday life. … Moments of respite may even be necessary to keep one’s moral compass in working order and maintain a sense of self.”

I have two hourglasses in my office: a big one and a small one. The big one lasts for 30 minutes, and I’ve found that most projects and meetings can be accomplished in 30 or 60-minute intervals. The hourglass provides a tangible, visual gauge of how much time I have to work with. Sometimes I game-ify things, hustling to accomplish my work before the sand runs out, which always feels good. The smaller hourglass lasts for 10 minutes — the perfect length of time for a short break between tasks.

So how can you get started on incorporating more downtime into your day? I’ve found that establishing a regular time on the calendar (with a reminder alert) for a daily walk can create a reliable structure and rhythm to lean into. It’s also helpful to have an accountability partner, a colleague or perhaps a friend, along with a regular destination, like a juice truck or a cafe, to help create a daily ritual. Once it becomes a ritual, it can evolve into something habitual — and that’s when it sticks. That’s when transformation can happen.

I also have a colleague who set-up a #Meditation channel on our company’s Slack app. Periodically whenever anyone is feeling that internal call to disconnect and reset, someone will post an invitation to the channel and organize a little impromptu 10-20 minute meditation session. Everyone is welcome and anyone can join, and I’ve found sometimes there’s an added human/spiritual effect by doing it with a small group of friends or colleagues. We’ve got a couple places around the office quiet enough for meditation, in addition to one dedicated medication/yoga/stretching area, outfitted with mats, bolsters and poufs for folks to use.

As you can see, there’s many different possibilities for low impact, easy to access opportunities for breaks — which when you think deeper out it, these are actually daily opportunities for improved health, increased performance, growth and transformation. 

I also just ordered a small freezer for the office. It’s big enough for about 100 popsicles.

-RW

A version of this essay was originally published by Forbes.com on August 8th, 2019

--> This essay is part of a series published in collaboration with The Western Writers League. Take a few minutes to explore my peers’s work as well.

I Have Flaws by Chris Corbin

Disclaimer: My Life Is Not Perfect by Mario Schulzke

Keywords: worklife , company culture, work/life , work-life , work-life balance , start-up , start-ups , taking breaks , breaktime , break time , leadership , popsicles , walks , creative work , creatives , leadership , leading creatives , meditation , downtime , performance , health , high function , creativity , motivation , mindset , productivity , onsen , onsens , soak, soaking , stress , exhaustion , burnout , culture , nurture theory , marmoset , ryan wines , magic popsicles , japan , kai onsen resort , kai onsen , nikko japan, Lake Chuzenji, work , workplace culture , Creativity , Startu , Leadership , Work Life Balance , Work #worklife #companyculture #startups #creatives #creativeleadership #nurturetheory #worklifeintegration #worklifebalance #breaks #takingbreaks #magicpopsicles #health #healthandhighfunction #creativesolutions #startup #startupculture #worklife #work-life #creativity #productivity #startup #leadership #meditation #nurturetheory

The Power of Mindset

This essay was originally published by Forbes.com on July 2nd, 2019

Man’s Search For Meaning, by Viktor Frankl, is a book that’s always struck me like a punch to the gut because the story is so dark yet so real and so recent in terms of the timeline of human history. In reading it again more recently, it lit up like a signal fire of meaning and context for life as I reflect on my own journey leading a creative company.

Austrian neurologist and psychotherapist Viktor Frankl viewed life through a different lens than most. On September 25th, 1942, Frankl and his family were taken prisoner by Nazi Germany and spent more than three years in concentration camps, including Auschwitz.

During this time, Frankl examined how he and other prisoners faced endless life-defining challenges every day, often every hour. It’s hard to imagine a more stressful, heart-wrenching daily experience. Despite these conditions, Frankl was relentless in his quest to determine why some survived and some didn’t -- why some persevered and some gave up hope. With curiosity, he explored why humans behave differently when up against challenges, or in this case, the most horrific conditions imaginable.

Somehow, Frankl was able to zoom out and reframe everything around one singular, critical question facing every human: What is the meaning of life itself? As Frankl frames the concept, life is a constant and continual prompt, through which having meaning is the most vital component. And if we choose to pay attention, we will find life is constantly knocking at our door, presenting choices, offering possibilities, seeking some kind of choice or decision. In nearly every moment of every day, life stands before us, seeking a response. If only we’re awake enough to see it.

More importantly, Frankl found that some responses actually produce better outcomes. He discovered that when one’s response is grounded in purpose and meaning -- with a positive, optimistic mindset -- it nearly always increases the odds for better results. He found this was the defining difference between those most likely to survive the death camps and those less likely to persevere. Frankl wrote, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way."

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way." -Viktor Frankl

Let that sink in for a moment: A positive mindset can literally open up better possibilities and increase the odds of better results. This is Frankl’s case for defaulting to optimism. It’s about responding to whatever life may bring you with positivity. We’re talking about choosing your mindset, despite life’s circumstances. It’s the glass-half-full approach. Looking at the bright side. Seeing the best in people. Fighting away dark thoughts. Resisting negative self-talk. Not participating in gossiping and complaining. Always bringing your best self to any situation.

Frankl also wrote, "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. In our response lies the opportunity for something better."

Make no mistake: In everything, we have a choice. Every human being possesses the power to choose how they'll respond to life. But isn’t it curious how frequently we don’t?

As humans today, it seems far too often we're going through life unconsciously -- cruising along on autopilot, unable to recognize the choice and power we possess. Even if we're awake enough to recognize our choices, we’re often blocked or frozen by dark forces like negative self-talk, worst-case-scenario thinking, complaining, succumbing to a victim mindset or getting caught up in the destructive nature of worry, gossip and perpetuating false narratives.

It's especially critical for leaders today to remain awake and positive, and to avoid the constant undertow of critical voices, stress and negativity. As Brené Brown has pointed out from a Theodore Roosevelt speech, our critics in the cheap seats don't matter much. It's only those who are brave enough to enter the arena with us, who are truly worthy of our attention. (Highly recommended: Watch Brown’s recent Netflix special here)

In my work as the leader of a creative company, I encounter all kinds of people, including those who default to worst-case-scenario thinking -- frozen inside their own minds, operating from a closed and defensive, second-guessing and complaining, fear-based mindset. Unfortunately, I’ve found many just can’t seem to help it. It’s as if they’re hardwired this way from birth. We all know people like this -- those unable to visualize the upside or imagine positive outcomes.

For a moment, consider Viktor Frankl and his experience in the death camps. Now, consider your own life and how you behave under stress and crisis. What mindset are you choosing to bring to your work, family and life?

Consider Frankl’s theory that when life is grounded in meaning, life has more upside, more possibilities. And when we bring our best self into challenging situations -- with an optimistic and positive mindset -- the likelihood of achieving better outcomes actually increases.

There are many impactful practices and resources available for mindset. For perspective, Man's Search for Meaning is a good place to start. In my journey, I've found choosing my mindset first thing in the morning to be transformational. My simple formula is this, which anyone can do: I read and contemplate my own personal purpose, core values, life goals and intentions first thing when I wake up. Then, I meditate, exercise and read something enriching. I also keep a mini-journal reflecting on my state of being, celebrating gratitude and stating my No. 1 objective for the day, No. 1 challenge for the day and any other reflections and affirmations worth noting. A homemade smoothie full of fruit, greens and goodness completes my morning routine.

A simple morning ritual provides a clear orientation -- priming the mindset for whatever life may bring your way, each and every day.

If you only remember one thing from this essay, please make it this: how you respond to any situation or experience in life is 100% up to you. No one can take that from you. Your response — your attitude is 100% your choice. Most importantly, a positive mindset can literally open up better possibilities and increase the odds of better results.

Mindset = Power.

RW

This essay was originally published by Forbes.com on July 2nd, 2019.

--> This essay is part of a series published in collaboration with The Western Writers League. Take a few minutes to explore my peers’s work as well.

I’m Not Perfect by Chris Corbin

My Life Is Not Perfect by Mario Schulzke