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The ONE Resolution You Should Make as CEO in 2015

Barb Krantz Taylor | January 6, 2015 | Blog | CEO Advisory | 2 minute read

Leaping in the New YearChances are you took some time off over the holidays and were able to slow down and re-charge. How did that feel? Chances are, pretty darn good.

As one of my clients said the other day, I really need to figure out how to keep that feeling now that I’m back to work! That got me to thinking… it would be great if everyone—including me—made the following New Year’s Resolution: Assure you have enough unfrazzled time.

According to author Daniel Goleman “frazzle” occurs when the brain switches into crisis mode. This emergency response causes the brain to give priority to speed (over thoughtfulness) and knee-jerk responses (over creativity). How much of your day, week or month do you feel frazzled? Every CEO (and executive team) I know spent way too much time there in 2014.

What will you do better if you become unfrazzled?

You will make better decisions. Your problems will no less complex and perplexing but you will feel more confident that you have laid your bets on a successful solution.

But why is that?

Because you will get more information before the decision and quicker action after the decision. Unfrazzled executives listen more attentively to diverse points of view, and have more dialogue with key stakeholders prior to making these complex decisions. Then, you get better business intelligence and can accurately predict the impact of decisions. And that is all the difference in the world when it comes to relying on those stakeholders to act quickly and faithfully.

And why is that?

Because unfrazzled executives spend time on the important, not just the urgent. If your brain is unfrazzled, you will be more present in your interactions with others, building more trust and having more candid conversations.

And why is that?

Being present with others means you will do 2 things: 1) You will listen in order to understand and convey that understanding with whom you interact—BEFORE you talk about what you think, feel, and want. And 2) You will show “unconditional care” for others BEFORE disagreeing with their ideas, or pronouncing judgment on their behavior.

It really is simple. Being unfrazzled allows us to stay people-centered AND will lead to excellent business results. Easy? Perhaps not so much, but you can contact The Bailey Group to get some ideas.