Leading Under Pressure

She glides gracefully across the stage.  Well-heeled and hair in place, she speaks passionately about her vision for the year ahead, without need for notes, and people applaud her well placed lines.  The local paper writes an article about her skilled leadership ability.  She wins another inspirational leadership award. 

She tries not to let a four letter word slip when her husband smacks her arm warning the alarm didn’t go off.  She jumps out of bed, tosses her unwashed hair in a ponytail, and trips through an abbreviated make up session so she can get out the door by 6.  Her emails pile up and she prioritizes the most urgent issues for the day before spending hours away from her phone and computer in meetings.  She frantically texts her nanny to start dinner since she’ll be home late, and her kids beg her to pick them up one day from school.

Which leader do we see? 

Which leader are you? 

I believe most women leading well today are both. 

This is a picture of the same woman. 

The reality is we all have furiously busy seasons when we operate on four hours of sleep and run out of the house with kids oatmeal handprints on pants long overdue for a trip to the cleaners.  We prep for a presentation by running through it with our hubbies or friends while brushing our teeth or removing chipped polish.  

This month marks the start of a frenetic professional two months for me.  I am traveling incessantly and working at a breakneck pace.  I get overwhelmed every time I see a calendar or someone asks me to meet for lunch and my first availability is in mid-May. 

How do you lead (or survive) in extreme seasons?  The extreme situation can be a result of the economy, volatility, personal circumstances, or a new assignment.  Whatever the cause, the result can often cause the same reaction reality: stress, exhaustion, and even panic. 

Here are a few tips I use to help manage the busy seasons when leading under pressure: 

1.     Eat.  I know this sounds simple, but we often overlook it!  I am on the road a lot right now.  I will only be at my office three days in the next five weeks.  I have protein bars, almonds, turkey jerky and bottled water with me as I go.  I never know what my schedule will be or what food will be available, so I’ve learned to prepare. 

2.     Sleep.  Seriously, you’re saying, thanks for all this groundbreaking wisdom.  But you know what?  Sometimes you need someone to remind you (I need someone to remind me).  There is no way I will get everything done even if I work past midnight.  So I set realistic goals (sometimes) and then shut down.  Plus, while I love decompressing with a little bit of mindless tv or a good book, I set limits there too because all too often they can suck over an hour of time which can result in going to bed after 11 only to awake by 5. 

3.     Laugh.  Are you ready to pay me money now for all this wisdom?  It relieves the pressure.  I was cracking jokes with my girlfriend on voxer, and I pulled out some sarcasm to lighten the mood at a working lunch. 

4.     Only try to control what you can control.  The current circumstances/schedule are (largely) beyond your control.  These seasons hit.  Don’t expend your limited and valuable energy stressing about circumstances you can’t change. {===>Click To Tweet}  Find ways to lift burdens where you can.  Ruthlessly eliminate anything from your calendar that is not mandatory.  No matter how fun or interesting it seems at the time.  Outsource tasks where you can afford to – maybe bring in someone to help with your lawn or laundry or pick up pre-prepared casseroles for dinner. 

5.     Prioritize, and Be Honest.  I have a couple of priorities right now that trump everything else.  Those items on the list do not get dropped.  I ask others to email me questions instead of call because I can manage my availability  to respond better.  Friends know I’m unavailable for girls nights and lunches until this two month period passes.  My hubby is super helpful and we have a nanny that can come early on days we both have work conflicts. 

6.     Acknowledge It Is For A Limited Period (and if it’s not limited, fix that).  My family and I can manage this busy season because it is a fixed period of time.  It has a beginning and an end.  If you find your schedule looking like this constantly, with no breaks or reprieves, then it’s time to reevaluate what you are doing, what you have said yes to, and what professional and personal conversations you need to have in the next quarter to rebalance your life so it looks like a life rather than a prison sentence. 

How about you?  What do you during the pressurized periods?  What helps you stay successful and survive?

*If you have a leadership makeover question, I’d love to hear it.  I’m planning another series of Total Leadership Makeovers.