As a leader at this epic time in human history, you have a tremendous opportunity.  I don't believe in good or bad luck.  You serendipitously crafted your world to be exactly where you are.

Whether you are navigating your business or your family through this turbulent time, the world needs you and your talent NOW!

From 30 years of consulting to Global 1000 executives through their most strategic initiatives, I extracted four keys to leadership in turbulent times. 

This is Patrick Mosher's Leadership 101 training.

Are you ready?

Leadership Key #1.  Envision Rally Points 

Some call it Shared Vision.  Others call it Implementable Strategy.  Maybe it’s a Goal or Ambition.  Call it whatever you want.  Important thing is to Envision that Rally Point.  Envision something that's in the distance.  A vision that grabs people's hearts and their passion to GO!  Paint a picture.  How does it look and feel?  Tell a story...

One of my core philosophies is the Universe is Perfect.  Our understanding of events and the big picture is much less than perfect because each of us only has a fraction of insight of the whole.  From that perspective what is happening is perfect somehow, even if it’s horrible and painful.

I also believe what an aboriginal grandmother told me.  "Every prayer is answered."  Maybe not in the form or timeline we want or intended, but always answered.  That's why she also said, "Be careful what you pray for."  So, what is a prayer?  Sure, we can send up intentional prayers.  However, what if prayers were also intentions we send into the universe in our frustration?

"If I only had more time with my kids."

"I hate coming to work every day."

"I can't stand being around my co-workers, my boss"

Haven't we all muttered something like that in the last 6 months? 

What if these are prayers as well? 

YIKES!

Last December I got really sick...

We face an unprecedented time in human history.  EVERY person on the planet is impacted by the current viral outbreak. 

You have a choice: A) Succumb to fear, put up our guards, hoard our resources and create social isolation;
OR; B) Take this time to reflect how to use this amazing opportunity to re-imagine how we live and connect. 

As healers and leaders, I choose B!!

How 'bout you?  What messages are you listening to?  What messages are you sending?

I cried with joy when a friend of mine sent this message: 

The immediate message is to SLOW DOWN and start taking care – of yourselves, of your bodies, of each other, of the people and other living beings who are being ground up and spit out of our systems.  "You thought it was impossible to make sudden about-face.  You said, 'we know we have to change everything in the next ten years, but we can't imagine how.'  Here you are, brought to a grinding halt by something so tiny it's...

Have you ever had to make a big decision in your life?  You put it off and put it off and put it off.  And it took FOREVER to get that decision made.

Sometimes you just need to listen to music and break that procrastination!

Solving Procrastination

I was dating a woman for about a year and we decided to move in together.  Now this was a big deal for us because each of us had come from major relationships.  Moving in together was our way to ease into a bigger commitment.  A year later, I looked around our house and there were no pictures on the wall.  None.  A CLEAR indicator that we didn't feel …. Permanent. 

If we weren't committed to our home, how could we commit to each other?!

We were backing away from this decision.  It was just terrible.  I started thinking, is it time to ask her to marry me?  Maybe I should.  Maybe I shouldn't.  I backed off.  There were great days.  And days I thought, maybe...

Between the three of us, our war cry was, "D for Diploma."

Aspiring to get a D in a class sounds like a distorted way to describe a path to Outstanding.  I suppose the path to Outstanding isn't always straight or predictable.

During my Chemical Engineering curriculum, I didn't like any of my Physics classes.  I was smart but I just couldn't grasp or visualize the concepts of applied calculus.  Physics 251 was my last Physics requirement.  Professor Klontz.  In class, I understood each English word spoken, but when the Professor put them in sentences, the meaning was entirely lost on me.  Oh yea, throw in a few Greek symbols and my head spun. In the evenings, I pored over the textbook, reading each chapter four or five times.  Not much help.  I studied for tests and quizzes, grasping for just one concept to save me.

The final exam came around.  Me and two classmates were in the exact same predicament.  25%.  That's all each of us...

I went to an all-boys college prep high school.  We were to assume leadership roles in government and industry.  I'm proud of my education at this fine institution. 

In my sophomore year, I took Civics taught by our football coach, Mr. Balaban.  It was an afternoon class, right after lunch.  I sat on the right side, about a third of the way back.  That way, I could lean my head against the wall.  It was an easy "A" class.  Not a shining beacon of my education … except for one short impactful lesson.  I guess it was related to civics and good citizenship.  I can see his massive form as he delivered this character-building sentence:

"Men, it's better to be Outstanding than Standing Out."

Have you ever felt like you were just left standing there? 

I thought of all the times I was the last one picked for teams on the playground.  There I was, Standing Out.  I thought of the parties in high school that I wasn't...

To prepare for an annual medical checkup, I needed to get a blood draw.  I went down to the local clinic and got in line to check in -- 2 people ahead of me.  The little waiting room was crowded with people.

A young man, wearing the local university's colors, burst through the door.  Clearly in a hurry.  Clearly agitated when he saw the line.  When the person at the desk completed her check-in, he jumps past the three of us and DEMANDS the receptionist check him in. 

"I'm sorry sir, but you'll have to wait in line."

Protected by the thick glass, she looks relieved.  The interaction creates a stir in the waiting room as people peak over their books and magazines to gawk at the scene.

"Check me in … NOW!" 

"I'm sorry sir, but your appointment isn't for another 30 minutes.  You'll have to wait."

Frustrated and with a few profanities, he steps away from the desk and turns to walk away, past me.

This is THE moment.  What would you...

What was the first one word that stopped you in your tracks? 

NO!

With a loud NO, you learned to freeze and stop what you were doing.  And it didn't take you long to invoke NO when you didn't want that spinach mush forced into your mouth!

You learned early that a single word has POWER.

There are other little words that are both subtle and powerful.  I call these JOINER WORDS.

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Let's start with, THEN.

If you took a logic or computer programming class, you learned the power of IF-THEN statements.  They are statements of causality.  If the conditions of phrase A are fulfilled and true, THEN phrase B can also be true.

"If you clean your room, THEN you can go outside and play."

"If you meet all the performance objectives, THEN you can get promoted."

"If you really love me, THEN…."

THEN is so powerful, you can drop it completely and merely imply its existence:

"If you jump off the cliff, [THEN] I'll reward you handsomely."

WOW!

...

Did you sit down at your desk today and feel like you've experienced this same day before?  Seems like life repeats itself over and over and over again.  Groundhog Day!

Experience Life as Extraordinary!

The definition of Wisdom is the soundness of act or decision based on knowledge, experience and good judgment. To live wisely, then, means to deepen our life experiences.  Sure, we can travel all over the world and have amazing experiences, but most of the time, we have the opportunity to experience our everyday life as extra-ordinary.

When I was in college, earning my chemical engineering degree, I was required to take a physical education elective.  For most of us engineers, we thought it was an opportunity to take a break from calculus, organic chemistry and physics.  Many of my friends took volleyball and martial arts. I decided to take … Ballet I. 

As you might imagine, when I walked into Day 1, I quickly discovered, I was the only guy in the...

Imagine the sound of a HUGE motor of your garbage truck, roaring in right front of you.  Try to imitate it's sound.  Go ahead, do it out loud.  You stop in front of the house and load up their garbage, wondering, 'what treasures are they throwing away?'  With just a twitch of your finger, you push the button and all that stuff mashes into mush.  Power, Baby!  And you get a whiff and wrinkle your nose.  Smell it?  You hit the gas and rev up that engine as you go to the next house.  Put on the brakes to slow down and stop this massive machine.  As you hit the brakes, they squeal with a high-pitch that makes you wince.  Can you make that sound?

If you followed along, you just entered the world of a 5 year-old, playing with his garbage truck.  It's a sensorial experience!

When I was a kid, we collected and played for hours with our Matchbox cars.  Matchbox cars came in little boxes that actually look like matchboxes. ...