Jim Martin

🧵 Leaders who can’t identify their anxiety always pass their anxiety on to followers. Instead of denying anxiety, you should identify it and become skilled at managing it *non-reactively.* Doing so effectively scales down organizational anxiety. Examples of anxious reactivity: -over functioning -under functioning -blaming and scape goating -herding around quick fix solutions -avoiding clear statements about intent/belief -trying to manage the emotions of others -pursuing others -distancing from others -cutting off others Examples of anxiety management: -Slowing down, breathing deeply -Managing self, not others -Making clear statements based on principles/reasoning. Make them “I ___” statements. Don’t state what you want/need from others (“you ____” statements) but instead what you understand to be true and intend to do. -Reframing questions rather trying harder to fix recalcitrant problems -Embracing reasoned risk and adventure -Refusing to take job responsibilities of others or let others take your own -Staying in relationship with reactive people without becoming reactive yourself -View sabotage or pain resulting from your principled stands as a sign of success (every system tries to return to homeostasis and does this by attacking anything disrupting the norm), not the ill will of others (they are just the system responding) -Endure sabotage/pain peacefully until your anxious system reorganizes around a new, less anxious norm Anxiety is contagious. So is composure.