Ultimately It Won't Be About The Money. It Will Be About You.

Right now everyone is watching, listening, and talking about the financial situation.

Whatever legislation is passed will not prove to be the most important outcome. It will be how you choose to manage yourself through this and how you choose to view and live life as a result.

The financial chaos is a test of willingness to learn, willingness to change, and willingness to exercise the kind of discernment that leads to wisdom. It is designed to profoundly shape your character, so it's no time to use a cheat-sheet (that's what got us here).

From a leadership perspective, the self-leadership you demonstrate now will help define your organizational leadership capability in the future.

Remember: You can't control the totality of your circumstances. You can control how you respond. Those responses will tell you--and those around you--who you really are.

And no one will be paying a bit of attention to the balance in your 401k.

Comments

[Sanjeev Sahgal]

Steve, this is so true for any situation. But in the current circumstances we have seen the dark selfish side of people, and this is what will go a long way in their lifes. As you read through the stories of greed and narrow mided approach people have taken, you worry on what's happening to the 'Human Element' in any organization. Large organizations are failing and leaders disowning their own team members, stepping on the future of these team members and building one for themselves. Unbeleivably disgusting!

Thanks for thoughts you put in, it helps the sane lot to ponder and build their character and not bank balance.

[Steve Roesler]

Sanjeev,

I'm cheering on the sane lot!

[Frode H]

Hi Steve.
This is so true. What we all choose to do with challenges determine the outcome. I believe no matter how dark the situation might seem, there are always choices to be made. I just posted an article about life work balance at my blog, having a similar message. The grounds for the article where made when I realized that Norwegians work in average 448 fewer hours per year than an average American, and we receive amongst the highest salaries in the world. Still we manage to be on the world top when it comes down to burnouts! Why is that? And you kind of said it all with “Ultimately It Won't Be About The Money. It Will Be About You.” Like it.

[Steve Roesler]

Frode,

That is quite a statistic and one that I have not seen before.

What kind of burnout is being experienced?

As I re-read the statistic, I began to wonder: Even if Norwegians are working 448 hours/year less than Americans, could that be an indication that it is still too much for the human condition to sustain over time? Due to higher taxation, are Norwegians (and other Scandinavians) somehow sensing that harder work does not generate an equivalent reward in discretionary income?

A number of questions come to mind. I think I will have a look at your post on the topic.