How Not To Crumble Under Pressure

How Not To Crumble Under Pressure

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  By Faisal Hoque founder of: HOW NOT TO CRUMBLE UNDER PRESSURE An entrepreneur’s 2ps for staying strong…
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  The most unflappableleaders develop all sorts of coping strategies, forged in the cauldron of potential failure. An entrepreneur, who starts out with the certainty that there is a 75% chance of failure, these pressures are o?en the direct cause of business failure rather than a side-effect of it.
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  “You have toput in incredible amounts of efforts and huge amounts of stress — and it’s much more painful than most people realize. And most companies die. On a certain level in your brain, your brain — we didn’t evolve, like, with companies; we evolved to respond to real death. And even though a company’s death is not real, it’s not like someone is physically dying, your brain doesn’t quite understand that on the limbic system level. So it’s really sort of painfully stressful. You probably don’t want to go through that more than once.” - Elon Musk
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  Everyone has adifferent relationship with pressure. Some are mo2vated by it, some like to nip it in the bud, while other prefer to delegate it.
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  Inspira2onal author ZigZiglar suggested that you should be able to manage yourself before you can manage others, and, in a similar vein, you should be able to manage yourself before you can manage your business. If your head is not clear, there is no way that your decisions will be consistent, and this will lead to unpredictable outcomes. ORGANIZE YOURSELF
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  It is worthtalking to a trusted advisor, like a spouse, friend, or a coach, about what seems to cause you the most stress. When you realize what is causing problems, you can take ac2on to address it. RECOGNIZE YOUR TRIGGERS
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  Stress tends totake us to an uncomfortable place. It dominates the mind, and it is all too easy to forget our “why.” You might be in business to make a difference in the world, to help others to develop, or simply to provide a future for your family. When you lose sight of those simple things, stress can overcome you preSy quickly. REMEMBER YOUR “WHY.”
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  Just stay athome in bed — that is a stress-free environment. Temp2ng as it may seem, this isn’t an op2on for any of us, but it is possible to make decisions which will allow you to avoid certain pressure points. You can delegate work to others before things get to be too much. You can set aside 2me in the day to switch off, go for a walk or listen to some music. STRESS PREVENTION
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  I write aboutmindfulness a fair amount. Stress happens when your head is occupied with worries that are rarely related to the present moment. If your head is elsewhere when you need to be “present” for a decision, you won’t make the best decision and add to your future stresses. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
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  Any moderately ambi2ousperson understands that you won’t always win. Learning from your failures will make you a stronger person, and there is a reason why many of the leading figures in world business have considerable blemishes in their careers. If losing comes naturally to you, like water off a duck’s back, coping with it is that much easier.. LEARN TO LOSE
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  Often, things arenot as bad as you think. When things are star2ng to get the best of you, an external perspec2ve is some2mes all you need.
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  Shadoka’s por4olio ofofferings enables entrepreneurship, growth, and social impact. Our customers and partners aspire to create sustainable value. They are focused on repeatable and measurable impact. We enable their aspira2ons. We bring together the management frameworks, digital pla4orms, and thought leadership for: •  EvaluaCon, execuCon, and monitoring of programs •  Scaling sales, revenue, and profitability •  CreaCon and management of digital communiCes and marketplaces About SHADOKA Follow us @shadokaventures shadoka.com
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  About Me Founder ofShadoka and other companies. Shadoka enables entrepreneurship, growth, and social impact. Formerly of GE and other global brands. Author of several books, including Everything Connects – How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Crea:vity, Innova:on and Sustainability (McGraw Hill) and Survive to Thrive – 27 Prac:ces of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, And Leaders (MoCvaConal Press). Follow me @faisal_hoque faisalhoque.com