How They Started In Tough Times
When many are in a state of panic amidst uncertainty, there are two fabulous books that I would like to recommend.
One titled “How they started in tough times” by David Lester and Beth Bishop. It talks about successful founders who started organizations during periods of uncertainty, crunch, and crisis. Unlike many others, they saw opportunities to serve and grow when others were in a state of panic. The key lesson in the book is to stay focussed on what you can control and make the best out of each situation, no matter how bad it seems — because things will get better with time.
The second book is titled Everlasting Optimism by Lenny Ravich, an 84-year-old who is looking forward to the future with optimism despite his vulnerable age and amidst all the panic around him. While it is important to take precautions, panic makes things worse than it would be otherwise. (FYI. I am hosting an online webinar with Lenny at the WCPS Club this weekend. If you like to join, reserve your seat here)
Personally, having lived through the 1997 Asian Financial crisis, 2003 SARS Crisis, the 2008 Financial Crisis, and based on research on human behavior — about how different people behaved during World War II, Great depression, etc — what I have observed is that every crisis brings with it a rare opportunity to build resilience, mindfulness and mental toughness. As they say “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
Food for thought: The current situation provides extra time to those who said they will work on their goals when they have more time. If they still do not make use of this precious downtime, probably, what they lacked was not time. It was discipline. Now is the time for reflection, renewal, and reinvent yourself. Upgrade your skills to stay ready for the rebound.
Stay safe, watch what you read and wash your hands.
Manoj Vasudevan is an internationally renowned Next Level Leadership Readiness expert, management consultant, and the World Champion of Public Speaking. He helps executives and entrepreneurs to break through to the Next Level in career, business, and life. Manoj is known for his expertise in simplifying complex topics into practical strategies. He is the CEO of Thought Expressions and holds an MBA from Imperial College, London. His books include the international bestseller Mastering Leadership The Mousetrap Way. and How to become the World Champion of Public Speaking. He speaks at international conferences, multinational companies, universities, and around the world. As a coach, Manoj has proven track-record in personal transformation and breakthroughs. CEOs, Senior Executives, UN Diplomats, Celebrities & Professionals from 34 nationalities have benefited from Manoj’s coaching. To contact the author’s team, click here.
