Young Professionals, Don’t Follow the Herd 

A young professional I’m coaching recently told me about a frustrating experience. She received an e-mail on a Saturday morning that described an urgent project that had to be completed by the Monday morning. As a young, diligent professional, my client stayed up until 4 a.m. Sunday morning to complete the project.  She walked into the office on Monday and doesn’t receive as much as a thank you…

As a matter of fact she is greeted with the news that there had been a change of direction, the project was not so urgent after all, and the deadline had been extended by two days.How did she deal with this?  Naturally, she was deflated and upset – she has sacrificed precious sleep and time with her young family in order to complete the project. I suggested to her that this situation shed some light on her personal values, as well as her company’s values. She might need to discuss the miss-alignment of those values with her boss.

Is this an easy conversation to have? No. Is it risky to stand up for yourself? Absolutely.
If the conclusion is that this scenario will repeat itself without her ability to draw tighter work/family boundaries, then she needs to put up with it, or find other employment where her values and the company’s values, are in closer alignment.
​
This young professional was at a crossroads decision in her career. It reminded me of an occasion when I drove through the Bakken region in North Dakota and watched a herd of cattle pass an oil location as they came in from pasture. I remembered something my dad taught me on the TTT Ranch where I grew up:  don’t follow the herd. By determining our own values, sharpening our self-listening skills, we get clarity about:

• What we stand for
• What our purpose is
• How to set and reach goals
• How to deal with chaos and conflict in a non-anxious way
• How to stay connected to people who disagree, sabotage, or challenge our leadership and values
• As seasoned leaders, we have the opportunity to nurture young leaders to both define and embrace their values, which will strengthen business as well. With strong leaders, we get strong businesses.  Capable leaders remain calm, even when their values are being challenged.  They will maintain a strong sense of “self” because they are tuned in to listen to their inner being.   The capacity to effectively partner or collaborate with others is THE mark of a transformational leader.

​
Don’t Follow the Herd is the first step to sharpen self-listening. Teach the younger generation how to define their values.
​
The herd mentality describes how people are influenced by others to adopt certain behaviors. For example, we hear people complain about changes taking place in their environment and they point out all the negatives. It’s easy to follow the herd and give in to the negative criticism by allowing old patterns of behavior to creep into the culture of the organization. There is another option.
Reflect on who you are and what you stand for, not on what’s happening around you.    

Seasoned leaders need to help Next Gen Leaders understand that their external circumstances do not define who they are, how they should live, or how they should lead.
.
Clearly defined values…

Gives guidance
Base your decisions on your own internal compass, not on external circumstances and pressures.

Helps you spot bad choices
Oftentimes, a bad choice is quickly followed by feelings of guilt and frustration.

Increases your confidence to stick to your values
When values are clearly defined, or ever better, written down, it’s much easier to find the courage and confidence to make difficult choices and not be swayed

I’m thankful my dad taught me not to follow the herd! When we are unclear about our values, almost every decision becomes a lengthy process of balancing good and bad, wasting time on back-and-forth internal conversations. On the other hand, when we know who we are and what we stand for, our core values make the decision process relatively simple. You only need to answer one question: Is this in line with my values?

In the next post I’ll tell you how our thoughts might influence our self-talk in a positive way.

Dakota Way Leadership question: How are you helping Next Gen Leaders to define themselves?

Dakota Way Leadership lesson: Living a life in line with your core values brings purpose, confidence, and peace.

​​​© Copyright Danita Bye, 2016