With everything going on in the world right now, from big events being cancelled and restaurants shutting down, it seems everyone is a bit flustered. Being that I work with local businesses on a daily basis, I am seeing first-hand the effect this is having on them and people like them. There is a lot of fear, and rightly so. This is a scary time, so when they come to me with their fears of shutting down, I understand completely. But I immediately reassure them that this, like everything else, will pass. This is just another bad day and the sun will rise tomorrow.
The universe works in mysterious ways. Some people may think I’m crazy for saying this, but I believe all of this is happening to get us to just slow down for a moment. Time to step back and take care of ourselves, and really figure out what is important to us and in life. With everyone being stuck at home, this is going to be a time to connect with people in a new way and to see things a bit differently than what you are used to. So when my clients called me over the past few days, I tell them all the same thing: do not make any decisions out of fear. Any important decisions that have to be made will not be made with good reasoning if done out of fear. They don’t have any type of plan behind them and that’s when things start to go wrong. We have that choice, that when things aren’t going right, we can fall back into fear or we can use this adversity as an opportunity to re-invent certain parts of our businesses.
This is not to say that as a leader you can never feel fear. Everyone feels vulnerable at times, but what is important is to be brave in these times. To understand that yes, this is going to be hard, but also that you will get through it. This is an opportunity to create innovation and we must handle it as such.
One client in particular of mine said to me “I’m trying to figure out what to do that is financially wise for the business but also morally ethical.” These two things should sort of go hand in hand, no? Not everyone will agree on any one particular decision that you make, but if you make the choices that align with your morals and the morals of your community and customers, the financial piece will follow. There is no better time than now to show up for your staff as a leader. Guide them through the adversity and come out swinging on the other side.
Your vision that you have for your business is only going to benefit from all of this. When people can’t physically come to your establishment anymore, all they have to see of you is how you are choosing to handle things. If you handle things with fear, this shows. The customer can see that you are afraid and are panicking to try and make as much money as possible. If you handle things rationally and with a little empathy, the customer will also see this. They will see more clearly what it is you do, what your vision is. They will have a deeper connection to you now that may have not been there previously, as it was brought forth only in trying times. Your vision is not stopped or on hold, it just needs to shift gears.
Find new ways to connect with your customer. Whether it’s on social media, livestreams, or a newsletter. Whatever it may be, find that new method of contact. I’ve been stepping up my internet presence as well and will also be offering a free brainstorm session, a group chat you can get in on and just kind of get the juices flowing. This is hard, but it’s hard on everyone so let’s figure out a way to get through this together.
There will always be this choice for you. You can choose to run from the things that scare you or you can lean into them. I am a firm believer that adversity shows up as a chance for us to grow and to better ourselves. But we also have to be the ones to make the decision to be that brave leader. One thing I want you to do in this period is to fully own and understand your value as a business. What makes you different? What do you offer people that no one else can? When you really have a good understanding of your value is when you start to see all the opportunities that are out there for you. Keep an open mind, and remember that maybe not everyone will stand with you, but the ones that do are here to stay.
I have included a link to my audio download and vision worksheet. This will assist you in digging into what your vision is and how to go about working towards it to really grow your business. Get started on it now, I know you are going to do amazing things in this world and I want to help you get there.
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LINKS:
To download a transcription of this episode click here.
Episode 54 – Being Popular Is A Distraction For Being Exceptional
Episode 53 – Clear Expectations
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