WEEKLY WISDOM - PRESSURE

Pressure: the stress or urgency of matters demanding attention.

Tennis is my all-time favorite sport, and Billie Jean King, one of the greatest players of all time, stated, "Pressure is a privilege. It only comes to those who earn it." Now, that's a different mindset about Pressure. Also, did you know that for coal to turn into diamonds, it must experience tremendous Pressure? In stressful or demanding moments, Pressure can be overwhelming and cause us to react in ways that are unfamiliar to who we are.  

Most of us don't welcome Pressure in our lives even though we know it is inevitable. We avoid it or do our best to get out from under it. Several leaders walk around with the "easy button" in their pockets, ignoring or not confronting challenging issues. The mindset can be to get through the pressure patch, move on until the next one arrives, and continue to hit the "easy button" through avoidance. Remember, in the Bible, there is a verse that says, "In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world" John 16:33.

See, it is inevitable that our lives will experience Pressure, but God has it all under control.

Let's look at a different perspective of Pressure! What's the result? It is to grow your leadership and confidence and ensure you don't stop learning. It expands your capacity and resourcefulness as you experience other challenges.  Don't forget that the experience also creates an opportunity for you to pass along your knowledge and wisdom to others. If you find yourself under Pressure as a leader, consider it a privilege. One of the best solutions is to face it and go through it with eyes wide open, looking for the opportunities, strategies, and expansion of your heart, stamina, and mind. Don't get me wrong, Pressure can be challenging and emotional. Yes, emotional as it impacts us to our core if we are honest. Lastly, our core beliefs will show up in our behaviors based on how we respond to pressure situations.

So, how do you, as a leader, move forward? Let's go back to tennis. Think about tennis; some of the best players may find themselves down in a match, but often, they find a way to turn things around slowly but surely.

• They ground themselves through recentering and refocusing.

• They concentrate on one point at a time.

• They expose the weakness of their opponent.

• They go to a more vital place mentally.

• They zone in on what's most important.

Now, as a leader, you can do the same thing in life and leadership.

• Ground yourself in your true identity.

• Play one point at a time by breaking down the challenge into bite-size pieces.

• Expose and eliminate the weakness in the situation by focusing on the issue and not the people.

• Use your mental capacity that takes you to another level when challenged.

• Determine what's most important in any of your challenges.

Now, as a leader, you have the tools to face pressure head-on and transform into the diamond you were meant to be! James 1:12.

Exercise Your Power this week-

1.       Put yourself in a pressure situation this week through some sporting activity or hobby and concentrate on the benefits of being under pressure, i.e., working out, tennis, basketball, writing, etc.

2.       Take some time this week to examine the pressure situations in your position and strategize how to handle those.

3.       Identify someone who handles pressure cool, calm, and collectively and examine how they handle these pressure situations.