Consider Rightly

Many things happen to each of us beyond our control. Most of them are minor: the stoplight turns red as you approach and you’re stuck for 30 seconds. Some are major: the driver behind you doesn’t notice and rear ends you.

There’s nothing we can do about such things. What we can do is control how we deal with such random happenings.

For those in positions of authority the response can affect many, for an individual acting on their own the response can at least affect them for better or worse. Some let such things affect them in ways that have negative impacts not only on their own mindset, but in the case of leaders, on the fate of others. Others use the random occurrence as a learning tool, something to ponder and work out its affect and perhaps how to control or change the event from happening in the future.

G K Chesterton said “an adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.”

The way you approach blips in your path has consequences that stretch out far in front of you. Think about the people you know. How different is the result for the people who take a blocked road as a chance to explore unknown terrain from those who become furious and learn nothing from the new path they must follow. The story these two executives will share when they get to the office will have quite different impacts on how those who hear it act that day.

As a regular global traveler I’ve had my share of long delayed and missed flights. I’ve met quite a few interesting people and landed some new clients by taking the delay as an opportunity rather than an inconvenience. I’ve also talked to people who are amazed when they hear how I’ve connected this way to senior executives of GSK and Pepsico and enjoyed a long discussion about airline employee hiring practices with the head of pilot recruitment for Qatar Airways.

The difference between having an adventure and coming away with new and useful knowledge and experience and being inconvenienced and coming away with aggravation and high blood pressure is dependent on the way you perceive things.

Consider rightly…come away with new ideas to energize you and your people. Consider wrongly…come away angry and empty of ideas and drain the energy of youself and your people.

It’s all an adventure. Treat it as such and expand your mind.