Fearless Leaders, as coached by Dr. Cathy Greenberg, are able to shine through in the face of challenges, by knowing themselves and their talents and strengths.
What do Fearless Leaders do in tough situations?
In her bestseller Fearless Leaders: Sharpen Your Focus, Dr. Greenberg outlines 12 areas of expertise. When it comes to tough situations, she urges leaders to use the acronym "DIRE."
What exactly does DIRE stand for?
D - Decision Fatigue
Ask yourself if you are in decision overwhelm. Are you trying to do too much at once? Choose to focus only on what is most important in that moment. Decide what is best for yourself (and don’t try to please everyone, or second guess what others want).
I - Avoid Inflated Expectations
We can get into overwhelm and feel disappointed when we have inflated expectations, so it’s good to focus on realistic expectations.
R - Reactive Regression
We are hardwired for hard times. Our brains are a product of prehistory, and can be reactive in the face of emergency. One way to control our reactivity is to think consciously about what we are going to say before we say it. We do this by “Naming it to Tame it.”
E - Delete the Error Messages/Explosions
We get error messages when we are in a DIRE Circumstance that alarms us. We can avoid the temptation to have explosive reactions when we focus with conscious intention on being in the moment.
Then, we can ask ourselves Clarifying Questions that fit our particular tough situation. These questions can include:
- What are my expectations?
- When is this project due?
- How can we help each other get a task or project done?
- How can we break the project down into baby steps so we can all get it done?
Recently named as a Top 100 executive coach, and managing partner at a Fortune 500 company, Dr. Greenberg will be talking about Emotional Brilliance this November 9th at the ICF-CO 2017 Fall Conference in Westminster, Colorado.
Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to start incorporating Emotional Brilliance into your business or practice.
Hurry while tickets last - Register now!
Adapted from the video Cathy Greenberg – tame your fears and have the best year ever, published on KGUN9, Jan 26, 2015.