A Leader’s Job: Holding Anxiety While Making Wise Decisions

President Obama’s Commentary on Syrian Refugee Crisis

I have always considered myself to be a-political, but I am also someone who fights for causes I believe in. Regardless of where you stand on Obama’s position, or the situation in the Middle East and Paris, here is what struck me about this clip:

The job of a leader is to hold and transform the anxiety that’s coming at them from all directions: from the people they lead and those they don’t lead, but who are watching closely.

The energy of anxiety is really about fear of the future. No one can predict the future accurately 100% of the time – not even those who claim to be psychic. A leader assesses the situation and makes his best decision based upon the information he has in that moment. He never has all the information he wants. Given the volatility and magnitude of suffering in the world, a lot can change in a day, an hour, a minute.

During much of Obama’s challenging tenure, I have found his approach to be inspiring. While I don’t always agree with where he lands, I do find that he tries to view complex situations from many angles, using logic and usually keeping a measured, calm exterior. These are attributes you expect in a Chief Executive.

My intent is not to get into a political discussion, but to provoke self-reflection – think about areas where you lead people in your life – your family, your organization or your community. It’s easy to lead when things are going well. The true test of leadership is in the most challenging of times. People gladly try to push their own anxiety onto others because it is so uncomfortable. And it’s easy to be critical of a leader when you aren’t the one leading a very tense, difficult situation.

When your own anxiety is high, it can be near impossible to be in a wise, open, creative space, so self-management is key. How do you hold and manage your own stress and that of others? What do you do to manage your anxiety when the pressure is on? What do you do to reduce other people’s anxiety, while giving them faith and hope in your proposed direction?

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