How the Best Leaders Add Calm to Chaos

Well hello there and Happy Monday! I’m Monica Wofford and this is your Monday Moment.

One of the most underused leadership tools costs nothing and requires no title. It also requires minimal effort but may entail a tad bit of discipline. And in fact, it adds calm to chaos. This tool that sounds so easy and yet, slightly secret-weapon-esque?

The pause.

Much like the processing of software or web page loading.

Not the awkward silence kind. Not a pregnant-pause that goes on uncomfortably long, or makes you think the site is down, but one that keeps you from thinking or seeing everything as a problem or true crisis.

The intentional kind.

The moment where instead of reacting to someone’s belief that their issue is a crisis, you choose to breathe… and think. You ask yourself: Is something on fire here? Is anyone bleeding in this moment? Is this a world ending matter or am I about to add fuel to that urgency …or bring calm to a perceived crisis?

Strong leaders pause before:

• Responding to something frustrating
• Jumping in to solve a problem or rescue someone else from their problem
• Making a decision under pressure or an unreasonable timeline

Because without the pause, most leaders default to habit. They default to easy action, fast accomplishment, and heat of the moment. Not intention and conscious thought. Habit doesn’t always serve the unique situation. Consider this during this upcoming week:

Before your next response… pause.

Give yourself just enough space to choose your response instead of reacting automatically.

It’s a small shift and one that often separates reactive leaders from intentional ones.

I’m Monica Wofford and let’s keep talking… leadership.