Unfair

#Beingaleader means you have to grapple with the issue of fairness. Am I being treated fairly? Are these circumstances fair to me and my business? How should I respond to unfair treatment?

It’s a serious question because as a leader, you are often treated unfairly. Clients leave you for no reason. Colleagues disparage you or your business. Employees steal from you or gossip behind your back to undermine you. It’s unfair to you. But, yet, you need to know how to respond to it.

The first step in dealing with unfairness is to grab ahold of your emotions. Take a breath. Don’t respond immediately. Give your brain time to take over your heart reaction. Experience will tell you that an immediate response will not make the situation better and likely will exacerbate the situation.

Second, formulate a plan. Self-assess the situation. What role did you play in this situation? Are you able to identify anything that needs correcting on your part? If not, you might need to formulate a response that puts your best foot forward and then move on. People will continue to treat you unfairly throughout your career but you should not allow them to have control over you. Move on to other clients. Get better colleagues. Fire employees that gossip about you. Level set those things over which you have control. As for the rest? Recognize that you can change only those things you control. Everyone else may be unfair but it’s unchangeable by you.

#Beingaleader means you have to grapple with the issue of fairness. Settle this today.