approaching nervous breakdown

One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important.

Bertrand Russell

The Conquest of Happiness

doubt vs. accepting failure

Jeff Haden, Contributing Editor: You said during your BUD/S (SEAL training) you were constantly doubting yourself. How did you push through those moments?

Sean Haggerty, Navy Seal: Don't confuse doubting yourself with accepting failure.

Everyone questions whether they can actually accomplish something difficult while they're doing it. That's normal.

The best thing I did was to decide that I was going to go to the absolute extreme, even if I doubted myself. I basically told myself that no matter what, I wouldn't quit. I doubted myself a number of times, but then I put away and thought, "If I fail, I fail...but what I will never do is quit."

That attitude pushes you past a limit you think you have...but you really don't.

Jeff Haden

"Want to Develop Incredible Willpower and Mental Toughness? A Navy SEAL Says Always Do This," Inc.com, January 19, 2017

uptalk

Uptalk will give the impression that you are unsure. 

As a leader, you want to be aware of your uptalk and work on reducing it. How you sound will determine if people believe you or not. As a leader, you want to sound certain, sure, and assertive in good times and in bad times. Your people rely on your certainty for their sense of confidence.

Uptalk is not all bad, and you do not want to eliminate it. You want to just reduce it to a level where it does not impact your credibility.

Peter Khoury

"3 Ways To Reduce Uptalk To Boost Your Credibility As A Leader", Magnetic Speaking. Accessed December 7, 2021

trust and share

Leaders must share as openly as possible, erring on the side of sharing more information with more people, more of the time. Sharing requires that leaders trust in the people around them. A great leader once told me, “You should trust the people who work for you, and if you don’t trust them, they shouldn’t work for you.”

Tracy Brower

"Knowledge Is Power, But Not In the Way You Think," Forbes. December 12, 2018

questions to understand culture

Culture is felt through the behaviors that are reinforced or discouraged on a day-to-day basis on teams. If you want to get a sense of the story of the leader and team’s culture, use detailed questions. You will get a much better sense based on the responses, especially if the leader struggles to think of what to say. If you are a manager, prepare to answer detailed questions that illustrate your team’s culture...

Examples:

• Tell me about a time a team member changed your mind?
• Tell me about someone you are proud of.
• Do you fully disconnect during holidays and vacations?
• Describe a recent success or win. 
• Tell me about a disagreement or conflict on the team. 
• How did you start your last team meeting? 
• What is your ideal person for this role?
• Who have you promoted and why?
• Tell me about the last person you recognized.
• How do you focus on your own growth and development?

Karen Eber

"10 questions to ask in a job interview that will really expose a company’s culture," Fast Company. April 8, 2021