You’ve reflected. You’ve observed. You’ve practiced. Now it’s time to take this work deeper. (And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, I invite you to look back at my prior Monday posts this month for background.)
As we look ahead at the month of September, I’m inviting you into a leadership challenge that has the power to transform not just how you show up, but how others experience your presence.
My Personal Story:
I recall an embarrassing time long ago when a prospective organization client ghosted me after months of scoping out a large engagement that would have me coaching the top leadership team and some of their select high performers moving up the ranks. I had invested over 20 hours on calls with the decision makers, researching the market and company, building a custom approach to meet their needs.
The second revision of the proposal had been sent and we had scheduled a final confirmation call to iron out scheduling and payment details. But my contact did not show up. Nor did he message me. Nor did he respond to my curious and friendly inquiries into whether an emergency had come up and when we should reschedule.
After two weeks of no response to a few of my messages, I lost it. I messaged him and said the equivalent of why have you been wasting my time. (Don’t ever do this! Learn from my mistakes!)
Crickets! When he did finally respond weeks later, it turned out his wife had been diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer and he had dropped everything to be at her side through the first scary weeks of doctors’ visits and tests. What an a-hole I was! And you bet I learned my lesson.
More often than not, there are some extenuating circumstances that are not at all about me, that are affecting the other person’s ability to respond. My new approach is to continue friendly and consistent follow-up, assuming good intent and forward movement, even if the next step happens a bit later than originally expected.
In other words, I check my emotions and my judgment. This has since benefited me tremendously in countless situations when the other person eventually responds with gratitude that I was patient and understanding with them.
🎯 The Challenge:
Master your emotional responses—one situation at a time.
- Each week, choose one moment that typically triggers you: a recurring meeting, a difficult conversation, a high-stakes presentation, or even your own inner self-talk.
- Instead of reacting on autopilot, Pause. Breathe. Choose your response with intention.
- This isn’t about suppressing emotion; it’s about owning it. Channeling it. Leading from your personal power instead of being pulled by the moment.
By month’s end, you’ll be more in command of yourself, and more magnetic to others.
Join me. Comment “challenge accepted” if you’re in for four weeks of powerful self-leadership. Let’s rise—together.
#leadership #emotionalintelligence #personaldevelopment #management This month’s weekly newsletters are all part of Strategy #8 for 2025: Get your emotions and reactions in check so that you stay grounded in your own personal power. (More important now than ever!)