“Over-seriousness is a warning sign for mediocrity and bureaucratic thinking. People who are seriously committed to mastery and high performance are secure enough to lighten up.”
― Michael J. Gelb

If you find yourself caught in intense swirls of thinking, consumed by deadlines, meetings, and constant demands that are preventing you from moving forward, take a deep breath, mentally step back, and reassess. Your ability to look at leadership situations as light and easy to work through creates a more positive and invigorating work environment, which in turn, allows employees to feel more comfortable taking risks, motivates them to share more innovative ideas, and ultimately results in better outcomes.

Leadership requires bold, creative, insightful, and fresh thinking. Here are some techniques/questions to remind yourself of ways to lighten up:

• Is this a lifesaving moment?
• What could be a fun way to solve the problem?
• Ask others for their creative ideas and methods to approach a situation.
• Define an alternative, imaginative vision that would be cool to achieve.
• What could be a fun stretch goal in this moment?
• What could you do differently to make the situation lighter and more inspiring for others?

When you allow yourself to dig deep within, you are aware of how empowering and freeing it is for yourself and others when you lighten up. It creates a better conversation, unlocks untapped potential, and ignites creative solutions for all involved. Unless you are doing brain surgery or saving the world, prioritize lightening up and open up to better ideas and results for all.

“Talking about our problems is our greatest addiction. Break the habit. Talk about your joys.”
― Rita Schiano

Talk about opportunities, vision, and joy and play in the field of possibilities!