Happy Tuesday,
I remember the first time I lost someone close who wasn’t a grandparent. It wasn’t just any loss—it was my friend’s son. An overdose. It hit me like a freight train, out of nowhere, and for a while, I didn’t know how to cope. I found myself so deeply immersed in their pain, their world, that I lost grip on my own. I tried to be everything for them, more than I probably should have. The truth is, it threw me off. Life didn’t stop, but it sure felt like it did. When tragedy strikes, whether personal or on a world scale, it can feel like the ground beneath you is crumbling, leaving you unsteady and unsure where to step. The emotional shock pulls us away from our routines, making it hard to focus on the tasks in front of us. It’s like navigating a thick fog—you know the road is there, but everything is obscured, and each step feels uncertain. I’m not unique in this experience. We all go through it. Whether it’s a deeply personal tragedy or a global catastrophe, the ripple effects can be profound. Think about the moments that changed our world: 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and now, more recent crises that, like clockwork, throw us into the cycle again. In the immediate aftermath, we’re glued to the TV, the news feeds, the conversations. How much time did I spend doing that, instead of focusing on my own work? How many days, weeks even, did I allow myself to be swept up in it, letting my business goals slide to the backburner? As Evelyn Nam from Harvard Business Review wisely points out, it’s crucial to “create mental boundaries” that allow you to compartmentalize without shutting down entirely. We can care deeply without letting it derail our professional responsibilities. She also suggests controlling your “information diet.” During 9/11 and other significant world events, I was glued to every channel, every breaking headline. But constant immersion doesn’t lead to action—it leads to paralysis. I challenge you to take Nam’s advice: limit the influx of news, stay informed but not overwhelmed. There’s work to be done, and staying grounded is the only way to do it. It’s good and healthy to be helpful. Do what you can: donate your time, offer necessities like food and water, or contribute cash if possible. Build a budget within your business and allocate funds for these kinds of events. But don’t let it consume you or affect morale. Feel good about what you’re able to do. If you have the bandwidth, do more as appropriate, but remember to keep balance. Help where you can without letting it take over everything. In times like these, it’s not about shutting off your feelings. It’s about not letting them completely derail you. As leaders, we have responsibilities—to our families, to our teams, and to our clients. But we also have a responsibility to ourselves, to stay focused on what we can control: our actions, our attitudes, and our work. Look, the world will keep throwing us curveballs. It’s what the world does best. But we have to decide if we’re going to let it take us out of the game. So today, as you sit with the weight of whatever news is pressing down on you, I challenge you to feel it, support those around you, but don’t let it consume you. There is real work that needs to be done—both in our communities and in our businesses. In the end, showing up matters. Not just for others, but for yourself. Be the person who can weather the storm and come out stronger. Be there, be compassionate, but don’t lose sight of your own path. That’s the real challenge—and the real opportunity. DDD Attribution: Concepts of emotional boundaries and managing focus during crises are drawn from “How to Focus at Work When the World Is Falling Apart” Evelyn Nam, published in Harvard Business Review (February 2023). _____________________________________________________________________________________ KW CARES American RED CROSS: redcross.org ____________________________________________________________________________________ Would you like to talk about what changes you might make in your business through utilizing the leverage of KW Command for your business? Schedule Time with David Donaldson and Get your Growth & Tech Business Evaluation Here: https://calendly.com/daviddonaldson/rtt-growth-conversation If you need a refresher Course to get re-introduced or gain clarity around the Fundamental use of Command register for our Oct 7 – 11, 2024, Training Sessions Training Here: https://kwregion12training.com Do you need to get some insight on what KW Command is. Learn more: https://getcommand.com/ or https://technology.kw.com/