In today’s world, a leader has many things to keep in balance and sometimes it is quite hard to do so especially with the changing environment of leadership. In his video, Dr. Spencer talks about five hurdles that leaders need to be wary of; insomnia, anxiety, home life energy, trusted confidant and misguided tensions. He views these five aspects as some of the barriers that stop leaders from being at their best (Spencer, 2011).
As a leader, the one thing I am usually so anxious about is whether my decisions are usually the correct ones for a specific situation. In many occasions, I am faced with different challenges that require different courses of action to remedy them. In many occasions, I doubt my decisions but in almost all of them, my decision is usually the correct one. I have learnt that the only way to rectify this is by having confidence in me and believing that the course of action I take is most suited for that particular problem.
Dr. Spencer provides some remedies for anxiety attacks. Breathing through an anxiety attack has proven to be quite effective. Visualizing happy thoughts has also helped many suppress attacks in the past. Having positive thoughts when attacks come is one very impressive way of combating attacks. Moving to places that are calm and are free of stressful activity takes the mind off situations that may cause anxiety attacks. Finally, taking care of the pre-conscious mind through rest and sleep is the most important. Sleep helps the mind get enough rest and creates room for creativity and other ideas (Spencer, 2010)
Any successful leader can attest to the fact that he has some people close to him with whom they share a lot, not just about work, but also personal issues. Trusted confidants are very important since they relieve the pressure of having to carry the burdens of being a leader. If one decided to ride solo as a leader, then the pressures of leadership are bound to have a toll on him.
Having an emotional Board of Directors means having a number of personal confidants who know about the secrets of being a leader and with whom you can share frustrations with, people you can consult with before taking a specific course of action. Many great leaders have confidants; presidents have a counsel of confidants commonly referred to as the inside circle.
Currently, there are three people on my emotional Board of Directors; my mother, my wife and my sister. These are three most close people I have and they have been with me through thick and thin. I chose my mother because no one understands the pain of a child better than the mother. She has been with me throughout my leadership positions and she has offered some great insight. My wife is my confidant because she is the one I go home to. Crossing the hurdle that Dr. Spencer described as “home life energy”, my wife gets to know how my day was and she has been supportive ever since I met her. My sister is my closest friend; she has known every little secret about me and she can be trusted to keep some more.
I plan to expand my circle of trusted friends to incorporate my close business partners especially those we are in agreements with and those I have known for the longest period. Your family can only go so far and having a friend other than family is important to ensure that you can always have someone to talk to when things get rough.
Works cited
Spencer, Jarrod Dr. The Five Hurdles: How Leaders Rise and Fall. 2010. Print
Spencer, Jarrod Dr. Mind of the Athlete - 5 Hurdles Trailer. 2010. Internet source. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oZZ1ofIwiU
