Are you frustrated with the relationship between you and your boss?
Have you been interviewing for a new position but can’t land one?
Does it seem like no one ever listens to your suggestions?
Do you just want to scream out: “I have no control in my career!”
You may be able to relate to some of these “ out of control” scenarios and feel that changing the roadblock is impossible. Yet all of these challenges are quite common for most of us at one point or another during our careers. Those of us who ignore the reality of what’s going on can end up with physical ailments like headaches or muscle stress. Not addressing our lack of control can also impact how we perform in our jobs. So instead of digging our head in the sand and waiting for the challenge to blow over, strong leaders face it directly.
Here are some impactful strategies to take back control in our leadership :
TAKE ACTION
When we are stuck in an imperfect or demoralizing situation, leaders know that taking action is critical. The steps forward may be small at first but leaders don’t allow the quick sand to deter them. In a recent podcast I address ways to empower ourselves to propel forward.
Related: 6 Steps To Pivot That Can Grow Your Leadership
LOOK AT THE ROADBLOCK HONESTLY
Sometimes we are our own worst enemy and overly critical of what may be happening to us at work. At other times we fail to admit to ourselves the truth of what and why things are going wrong. Just be honest with yourself.
KEEP AN OPEN PERSPECTIVE
The key to coming up with solutions is to allow yourself to stay as open as possible to your obstacles. One young leader I worked with felt his ideas were not being heard. He was a bit introverted and had a difficult time speaking up in department meetings. So we decided to have him inform whoever was running the meeting that he wanted to be on the agenda. He wrote out ahead of time what he wanted to share and even practiced it a bit. By being prepared he was able to share his opinions and ideas in a more organized way. The information actually just fell out of his mouth. For some of us, extra preparation can empower our speaking up.
CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE VIEWS
If you are eager to change jobs or careers and haven’t had a lot of success with interviewing, then maybe considering different work situations would be helpful. So what if your dream job needs to take a few enrichment steps.