Often when I travel, I encounter things that connect with what I am currently working on with my company or with my clients. I am always looking for new ways to present an idea. One such case was an encounter with an intoxicated woman while standing in line to board a plane.

What I watched was a woman who obviously had too much to drink trying to stand still as we waited to board. She kept weaving and bobbing, almost falling over and began to attract the attention of everyone in the waiting area. I offered her some help by asking her if she needed to sit down to which she said, “No I have this I’m okay. I am not drunk.”

Now everyone was watching this unfold, a murmur began throughout the crowd debating will she be able to get on the plane or not.

A friend of hers came up to talk to her again she kept denying the fact that she was drunk but it was obvious to everyone and I think even to herself at times as she felt the unbalanced or the wave of nausea coming over her that she had obviously mistaken the amount of alcohol she could consume and still get on the plane in one piece.

Are You In Denial for your Business?

In business, there are times where leaders deny the impact their actions are having on results.  They can’t see what’s right in front of them. They think what they’re doing is correct. They think they did not cause the poor results. They’re living in the state of denial.

This can apply to any aspect of your business. It’s not easy to hold up the mirror and admit it’s my fault. Admit my actions had this impact. Once you look at your actions then you can go back and decide if they were truly correct or if they impacted results negatively. If you get caught up in being defensive, emotions or feeling judgmental it’s not going to help long term success.

It’s hard for some to accept responsibility. It’s hard to hear that your actions cause negative results. It’s easier to blame someone else. Great leaders surround themselves with a good team of people who are willing to hold up the mirror for them to see. More importantly a true leader will want to look in the mirror themselves and say I am responsible.

As you’re moving through your business day to day, or anywhere in your life, as you review results get rid of judgment. Judgment will cause a state of denial. If we’re open and we talk objectively about the results, focus on what actions caused the results and then train accordingly to improve those actions, we will improve.

I look forward to helping my team and clients grow. I hope they feel I can be a good mirror to help them see areas to improve and then help them get there as I rely on my close circle of friends to help me keep growing.

If I can ever be of service let me know. If you found this useful, please share. It would mean a great deal to me.