Bulletproof Yourself

Leaders are never called when things are good. Leaders are called when things are bad.

When things are bad, leaders are called upon for help, guidance, and support. As leaders, we all want to emotionally regulate ourselves to come across in a good way; to come across in a way that is productive and positive. But in order to do that, you have to bulletproof yourself.

When I say "bulletproof", I mean to be clear, confident, and calm at all times so nothing can get the best of you; even when you have to make difficult decisions, face constant criticism, and/or deal with hard circumstances.

1) MAKING DIFFICULT DECISIONS: As a leader, most of the decisions will either be made by you or will need to be approved by you. Something you will learn early on is that you cannot make everyone happy, so almost every decision you make will upset someone. As long as you are clear on why you made the decision you did and how it was the best decision for the company and/or organization overall, then no one can challenge that. Don't let anyone make you question yourself or the decisions you make if you took the time to really think things through and truly feel like you made the right choice. You're not always going to make the right decision, no one is perfect, but don't let one bad decision keep you down - you will not only be seen as weak, but others will lose trust in you. So stay strong and stand by your decisions. Admit when you are wrong and keep moving forward.

Be clear when making difficult decisions.

2) FACING CONSTANT CRITICISM: As a leader, you are going to hear a lot of criticism either to your face or behind your back about something you did, something you didn't do, or something you should have done. Don't let the opinion of a few keep you from giving your best to the rest. You need to learn how to focus on what is positive so as to not let any of the negativity get through to you. Be confident in your job as a leader and others will in turn be confident in you. No one wants to be criticized, but as a leader, it is just part of the job. Don't let criticism get you down; if you do, it will show others that you are not willing to grow and that you cannot withstand the attention (good or bad). Take what others say into consideration and keep pushing. If you don't let what someone says get to you, then you are showing others that you are better than that and that you are stable within yourself.

Be confident when faced with criticism.

3) DEALING WITH HARD CIRCUMSTANCES: As a leader, you have to put your emotions aside and stay calm when you are faced with hard times. If you are calm, then you will set the tone for everyone else to be calm, as well. By not letting the circumstance in front of you cause you to panic or get upset, you are bulletproofing yourself to handle anything that comes your way with dignity and patience; which you will ultimately be respected for. Even if you are panicking on the inside, don't show it. As the leader, you are the backbone of the organization, so if you fall, everything falls. So stand up, do what needs to be done, and do it with ease. Don't let hard times get the best of you. We all know that hard times will happen, so brace yourself when they come along and tackle it head on. You will not only be seen as a strong leader, but you will feel like a strong leader. 

Be calm when dealing with hard circumstances.

People want their leaders to be clear, confident, and calm, so as a leader, it is your job to make sure you are all three of those things. Our brain and our body can get in the way sometimes and almost force us to react to something based off of our initial thoughts and/or our feelings, but that almost always makes things worse. When you bulletproof yourself, you prevent that sort of thing from happening by not letting anything control what you say or do.

There might be some areas within your leadership where you already feel bulletproof, but being bulletproof is not a one time thing - it is something you have to work on daily to make sure nothing gets by you. If you want to be bulletproof, you have to always be on guard and ready for anything that comes your way. 

- Dean