Stephen H Baum Leadership

ARE YOU AN ENTREPRENEUR UNDER STRESS? DO YOU WORK FOR ONE?

LESSONS FROM SCUBA DIVING

Let’s first stipulate that emotions sometimes are crucial to actions under duress – for example if someone is shooting at you. Then fight or flight responses are appropriately triggered by emotions.

The rest of the time there are lessons of great value from SCUBA diving if you are an entrepreneur or work for one.

My dive instructor recently reminded me to rehearse the response process to any external threat or any of my own fears:

Stop. Breathe. Think. Act.

Stop (stop moving or whatever you are doing).

Breathe (preferably two breaths – they wont take long).

Think (what are my choices? What is the safest or most

effective?).

Act (Do the right thing for this moment and possibly beyond; when the stress has subsided, continue).

This process could save your life under water (and sometimes above). At work and with your family, it could avoid unnecessary strife, words and deeds that cannot be undone.

For an interesting interview with a leader who has learned this message, see Adam Bryant’s interview with Joel Babbit (CEO of Mother Nature’s Network) column in the most recent Sunday New York Times:

Adam Bryant interviews Joel Babbit

or click on http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/business/joel-babbit-of-mnn-on-james-bonds-lesson-for-ceos.html

That’s my view. What’s yours?

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