How can I step up as a leader during massive uncertainty?

Despite all of negative emotions that I've been feeling since the beginning of this global pandemic, there is one thing that continues to brighten my day each and every time I see it.

People, friends and strangers alike, are coming together to comfort and support each other.

It's inspiring to see this virus bring out the best in people. While the knee-jerk fear reaction may initially be one of scarcity, selfishness or individualism, there are more and more stories emerging of people choosing to lead with compassion, support and unity.

Global stories like Jack Ma, the richest man in China, donating 500,000 testing kits and 1,000,000 face masks to the US. Stories of neighborhoods singing to each other. Stories about international cooperation where a team of health experts left China to head to Italy to lend a hand. Crowd funding stories that spontaneously happen on Twitter to support those less fortunate.

This type of compassion and support is happening at the local level too. Countless stories of people helping their elderly neighbors buy supplies. Stories of helping friends and family understand the severity of our situation and prepare properly. And stories of supporting local businesses and providing extra tips and payments to service workers.

We need more of these stories during the coming weeks and months.

One question I continue to ask to all of my coaching clients is:

"How can you show up as a leader even more during these times of uncertainty?

I ask myself this every day.

For me, the answer is typically:

• connect with friends and loved ones
• help people to be as prepared and safe as possible
• express gratitude
• offer to help support others wherever the opportunity presents itself
• ensure that I'm taking proper care of myself and keeping my immune system as ready as possible

Am I going to be as productive during these times as I would be under normal circumstances? Absolutely not, and that is 100% fine with me. I've broken almost all of my personal, self-care and social routines. I'm doing my best with what I've got, and that's really all I can do for now.

It's important to remember what we are optimizing for in any given moment. I am not trying to minimize disruptions to my personal life, business world or daily routines. I'm optimizing to stay healthy for as long as I can to flatten the curve and at the same time show up as a leader for everyone I can.

If there's any way I can help, even if it's just a 15 minute virtual coffee, I am here for you.

We are all in this together.

Why am I not further along on my journey?

Having spent the last few years with top performers from all over the country, there is one question that comes up over and over again that can cause so much pain and anxiety:

"Why am I not further along on my journey?"

Why don't I have a bigger bank account? Why don't I have a job that I love? Why don't I live in my dream home? Why don't I have the perfect partner and wonderful kids? Why haven't I got that promotion that should be mine?

I could go on and on with these questions. And the crazy part is, they can always be present for us no matter how much success we may have already had.

Why don't I have my second investment property yet? Why haven't I raised my third VC fund? Why is my fourth startup not taking off as fast as my first three did?

We have these expectations instilled upon us that we "should" be further along on our journey than we are. We see someone else who may be two steps ahead of us in one particular thing we are measuring them against and that in some way makes us feel inferior or as if we are not enough.

I do this. ALL. THE. TIME.

I've just done it again with writing on this site. I want to write every day. I can feel the benefits of writing consistently and see others who do it. I know it's possible, and yet I'm not there yet. Hell, I don't even have stable place to call home right now. So why am I trying to project myself forward into this place where I have the structures in place to publish a post every morning? I want to be in that place, I am not there yet, and I've allowed this to cause internal friction.

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Whenever I experience this "I should be further along" feeling, I do a few things:

1. I bring awareness to this feeling. I consciously recognize that I am having this thought (again) where my mind projects where I "should" be. I see you thoughts.
2. I have compassion for myself and these beautiful thoughts that simply want a better life for me. Thank you, mind, for seeing the future better than it currently is. What a gift!
3. I find gratitude. Mostly this shows up as gratitude for being exactly where I am at on my journey. My past has led me to this exact moment, and I wouldn't change a thing. My experiences have shaped me into the human that am I, and I am forever grateful for that.

Part of being a Creator is that we are bringing new things into this world that don't exist. We see the opportunity for change, the possibility of building a better future. From that place, it feels natural to have feelings about why we aren't further along.

When we can bring awareness and compassion to those feelings and have gratitude for exactly where we are at, we can harness this energy to pull us forward and release any negativity we might associate with being exactly where we are at in this moment.