“Never allow your instincts to be defeated by your perceived desperation.”
The other day, I was strolling through the jungle of my mind, and I was thinking about how our instincts really are the greatest protector we have against our own reluctance and stubbornness to create a better way.
Most would say it’s the fear of the unknown; in reality, it’s that our imagination has not yet defined an alternative route.
About a year ago, I attended a meeting where the “Profit”, Marcus Lemonis, was the key note. He asked the audience to stand if they had someone back at their office they wished was not there with them. He was amazed how many people stood. If you have ever watched the Profit, you can imagine the response he had when facing the people standing. Everyone who has ever lead has probably, at one time or another, fallen into the same trap as those who rose to their feet in that auditorium.
There are only a couple of reasons a leader would allow someone to stay on a team when they really don’t want them there. They are either ignoring the need for improvement, or they have a perceived desperation of the circumstances after a change. Both of these are dangerous to the health of the business.
I trekked on through the jungle… Why does our perceived desperation have more power over us than our instincts? After all, instincts are the built in protection all living things possess. When we override our instincts, we just simply postpone the reality that will eventually present itself.
Every time you think the decision you need to make will bring more pain than not making it at all, quickly think back in time to when your instincts were right. Sadly you will determine those instincts were right, not acted on, and proven right by others or circumstances you did not control.
The changes that were needed happened on their own anyway; the employee you worried about letting go decided to let you go; the process you refused to change in your business, the competition forced you to so you could stay competitive.
So the reality is that what we feared is a waste of time fearing; we fought our instincts and lost. Very rarely are our instincts wrong.
We all have a story where this perceived desperation held us hostage and we all have a story that changed our course.
There will always be detours. Sometimes our instincts will help us clearly see the sign warning of the dangerous road ahead, and when it does – listen!! Like the construction workers holding the stop sign on the pole – it isn’t a suggestion, and if you ignore it you will cause harm not only to you but also those who listened to their sign coming the other way.
I guarantee you this, while you were at that stop sign, your instincts were NOT telling you to ignore it. When others do stupid things, we tend to respect our instincts more, and the more our instincts will protect us.
So the next time you get that feeling in your gut, and your instinct tells you to DO it – whether it’s making a hard decision, making a major change to your way, or taking a risk inspired by your imagination – don’t ignore it or be afraid of it.
–R.J. Stasieczko
Thanks Bharat
Thank You Ray for this wonderful piece of advice!