Wouldn’t a little control over your future feel good right now?
I know, you’ve probably worked for a micro-manager you couldn’t stand. I know I have.
Or maybe you’ve been called a control freak. I’ve had that too (though sometimes I think that trope is used for women whose direction people don’t want to follow).
In short, control in leadership gets a bad rap.
So what do you do when things feel as out of control as they do these days?
Stock market volatility, recession fears, jobs replaced by AI. It’s a lot.
Fear of negative outcomes can paralyze you, and reduce your creative thinking right when you need it most.
How do you recapture a bit of control over your destiny?
Connect your strengths to their impact
This simple idea is powerful just by itself, and can fuel your job search or promotion request.
But in times of uncertainty, I would add the following:
- Get out there. Find out where your skills can be used in different settings, closely or more distantly related to what you’re doing now.
- Connect with others. It’s a great time to network, either one-on-one or at events.
- Be able to talk about how your skills contribute. This should be broad enough so that you can transfer them to other settings (see above).
When things are uncertain, it’s not a time to duck for cover. It’s a time to step up, get informed and take control of the situation.