Q: How many times a day does something unpredictable or unexpected happen?
A: All the time!
A key leadership skill is flexibility - the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
This skill is the most challenging for anyone who values structure and predictability because for those people, unexpected change is probably a big source of stress.
To improve flexibility, consider your language. Re-label tasks as ‘preferences’ rather than ‘must-haves’ and change your own expectations by removing the absolutes. This can give you some room to flex.
For example:
I must have a perfectly clean kitchen when I leave for work.
Rewrite: I prefer to have a clean kitchen when I leave for work.
I must have all the answers when a customer or team member comes to me.
Rewrite: I prefer to have the answers, but know that I can be helpful in any situation.
I must have zero defects.
Rewrite: I prefer zero defects but appreciate hard work and effort.