By Business & Finance By Shane Cradock
The Irish MD of a multi-national organisation sat frustrated in front of me. “There’s panic at a global level and so there’s a complete lack of vision. It’s causing me a lot of confusion and stress.”
In today’s business world, clarity is the ultimate weapon. Accelerating change can create clouds of confusion for many. Leadership is all about vision – knowing what you want to create and then continuously aligning your people around that vision. But often people don’t have a vision and that’s why they can be ‘hypnotised’by someone who does.
How clear are you? If clarity is lacking, here are nineways to improve it:
- Stop. Get away from work or what you’re trying to find clarity in. Paradoxically,
when you step back from it, you can often create space for clarity to come in. That’s one of the reasons why hobbies are so useful – they help you switch off and see things differently. - Write it down. Having it all in your head can be like stirring a bucket of water with sand in it. The more you ‘think’ about it the murkier the water gets … By writing it down you get it out of your head and that alone can often give the sand a chance to settle, so that you can see.
- Change location. It might sound strange but taking yourself to a new location and thinking about the same problem can be enough to get a solution or clarity. Coffee shops are my favourite places for clarity and creativity.
- Say ‘No’more often. Most leaders have too much on their agendas. Saying ‘No’ more to even good opportunities, leaves space for the great ones. When you have less on your plate, clarity emerges. As Steve Jobs said: “I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.”
- Talk to someone. Some people have the skills to help bring you into clarity. It could be a trusted friend, mentor, colleague or coach.
- Get clear on who you are – both the business and you. When you are clear on your values as a person and company, it’s easier to know what to focus on.
- Walk in the present moment. One of my favourite ways to gain clarity is to go for a slow walk where I completely drop what I was thinking about and give my full attention to what I’m experiencing during the walk – a mindful walk. Increasingly more and more business people are realising the power and benefits of a mindful approach to work and life.
- Get to where the air is good. I’ve definitely noticed a link between my quality of thinking and the quality of the air in my environment. Especially noticeable in a forest, in the mountains and also definitely by the sea.
- Rest. This links to number one also. A lot of confusion is caused from physical and mental exhaustion. Leading a team or business can be exhausting if you don’t look after yourself. Be aware enough to listen to your body – your mind may want to keep working but sometimes resting yourself completely (i.e. turn your phone and email off) is the best tonic for your mind and by default, your clarity.
When the MD referred to earlier realised that a clear mind precedes vision, not the other way around, he then focused his attention on a combination of the above nine points.
His focus was on maintaining a clear mind in the face of turbulence and change. The result? By developing the skill of maintaining a clear mind, he gradually saw what needed to be done, the clouds of panic and confusion cleared and he created a vision based on what was going to make the biggest difference to his business.
The global level is another story…
Shane Cradock helps entrepreneurial leaders and their organisations achieve their potential. For further information, visit his website.
