I was on a closing call for a HUGE sales deal and was sitting across from the decision maker — a man old enough to be my grandfather. The meeting was going great! Until it wasn’t. For one reason or another, the kind old grandfatherly figure turned purple with rage and started SCREAMING at me. Uh oh. What should I do? What would YOU do?
How comfortable are you in uncomfortable situations in business and life? When the going gets tough, do you get going? Get mad? Give up? Get even? How do you handle heavy pressure whether it is either making a tough leadership decision at work or an even tougher decision at home?
As a life long martial-artist, I have successfully applied the theories, tactics, and techniques I learned earning my black belts in Brazilian Jiujitsu (BJJ) and the Japanese martial art of Aikido to the battlefields of business and life. And here are three simple steps you can practice when you find yourself in a pressure-cooker situation to catch your breath, get re-centered, and ensure you are making the best servant leadership decision possible.
3 Steps to Get Comfortable in Uncomfortable Situations
Step 1. BREATHE: Literally. Take three (or more) slow, deeeeeep belly breaths. Often when we are in pressure situations we don’t breathe. Either we unconsciously hold our breath or take shallow, panic inducing breaths. Taking three slow, deep belly breaths will increase oxygen, circulation, and blood flow while decreasing stress.
Step 2. BASE: Whether you have someone old enough to be your grandfather screaming at you in a business deal or a 300 pound behemoth trying to smash you in a grappling match, you must maintain your “base”. You must remain grounded. (Not “light” where you can be pushed and pulled in any direction your adversary wants.) A simple way to maintain your base is to know your “why”. Viscerally know, trust, and embrace why you are doing what you are doing. Focussing on your “why” will help you remain cool, calm, and collected while avoiding getting pulled into meaningless conflict.
Step 3. BALANCE: As you are breathing and maintaining your base (focussing on your “why”), it is easy to remain balanced — physically, mentally, and emotionally. If you are balanced in these areas, you can start to see positive ways forward through pressure-cooker situations that you could not see before. Ways to move, act, speak, and BE that leads to a desired result.
Try these three steps to grow and develop your servant leadership “muscle” in pressure cooker situations. Much like I did when that grandfatherly figure was screaming at me many years back during my sales call. I didn’t yell back or let him walk all over me. I remained calm. I remained clear. I trusted my “why”. And I closed one of the biggest sales deals our company had seen at the time.
If you have questions, comments, or other innovative ways to get comfortable in uncomfortable situations, leave a comment below or hit me up on Twitter @mpveltri. I’d love to hear from you!
From life or death decisions on the battlefield to the boardroom, Michael Veltri draws on his background as a battle-hardened business executive, decorated U.S. Marine veteran, and 10-year resident of Japan to teach CEOs and senior executives better decision-making skills that deliver stunning results. His inspiring leadership keynote speeches, breakout sessions, and corporate trainings deliver practical tools that can be used immediately to increase productivity and deliver bottom-line results while creating a culture of servant leadership at every level. Learn more by watching this short video of Michael speak at: Leadership Keynote Speaker Michael Veltri