Double Down on Your Mandate During Tough Times

The world feels like a difficult place these days. It doesn’t seem to matter where you look, there’s bad news, heartbreak, doom, and gloom. So, it’s very easy to get consumed by all the negative energy swirling around us.

As leaders, not only does this end up being counterproductive to our own work, it tamps down the spirits and energy of the people looking to us for hope and encouragement. When things feel too heavy, we lose the motivation to keep trying. But it’s exactly during these tough times that we have the opportunity and the gift of being able to double down on the reason we do our work and the people we serve.

Because let’s face it, the majority of the big bad issues we see and hear in our 24/7 news cycle are completely out of our control. This doesn’t mean they’re not real or serious, but the media frames stories and uses language to purposefully make us react emotionally and feel a personal connection so that we’ll continue to tune in and follow the story they’re telling. And sadly, the more sensational the stories are, the more humans are drawn to them!

Can we trace political violence, inflation, climate change, and armed conflicts back to us and how they are or could be impacting our lives? Of course, we can. We’re a global community, which means we’re all affected to some degree or another. But we can’t carry the weight of everything bad that’s happening in the world on our shoulders each day. For our own sake and the sake of all those around us, at work and at home.

We may not have the ability to influence or impact all of life’s challenges in a meaningful way. So, our goal should be to identify whatever small actions we can personally take each day to contribute to positive change, and then do them.

The rest of our time and energy should be focused on the people we love, the reason our organizations exist, the teams we lead, and the people we serve. Investing our energy in positive action will motivate those around us to do the same, lighten everyone’s spirit, and remind us that there’s plenty of ‘good’ still happening in our world. We have the power to show up, work hard, support one another, and be successful. Regardless of what the media or anyone else may tell us.

“Storms make trees take deeper roots.” -Dolly Parton

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”-Winston Churchill