Rethinking Your Assumptions…

…especially when you’re convinced you have all the facts and what has been done is unpardonable. How many times as a leader are you confronted with tough decisions regarding the actions of colleagues or direct reports? Especially when those actions seem inconsistent with who you know that persons to be…and in that moment you feel hurt and not respected.

As a leader, this is just one example of the many difficult decisions you’ve probably faced. A good question to run on is whether that person has earned the chance for you to rethink your assumptions. Tough dilemma, I know. But that’s what being a leader is all about. Building and maintaining relationships through good times and bad.

I was reading an article Tony Robbins wrote recently and I think he stated it well. He said: “When you experience someone doing something unconscious, it’s helpful to remember that it’s rarely ever about you, and almost always just that person feeling so much stress and pressure that they have literally activated their survival mode. People in survival mode can go blind in a moment. It happens to the very best of us. It’s part of being human. We can’t expect anyone to be perfect all the time.”

So the next time you’re confronted with this type of dilemma, slow the process down. Think about what might be going on in your colleague’s life, how that might be impacting their actions, what might you be able to do to help them recalibrate and most important, don’t let your emotions get the best of you…because one wrong assumption can set off a chain of events that takes you far from the truth.