There are many coping mechanisms available to us to stay focused on our goals. And there are 3 “P’s” I use when I work with people in career transition.  They are Patience, Persistence, and Positivity.  But as I continually use these in the area of career transition, it occurs to me that these same three “P’s” can be used in leadership and life.

Patience – Many people in career transition struggle with this one.  The new opportunities never come fast enough.  But it is a valuable skill that will help remove the disappointments of not hearing from that perfect company for that perfect job.  In leadership, patience provides us with the ability to hear other people’s stories first and gain their understanding before giving direction.  You may hear a different, better solution you may not have considered before.   In life, it’s the ability to be mindful of our journey and experience and appreciate the path we are following or creating.

Persistence – Think about the things you can control, or influence, and move forward from there. Stephen Covey provided the concept of Circle of Influence, and it works well all aspects of communications.  In the middle of the circle, is yourself.  You have complete control over what you do and how you act. The next circle outside of self is influence.  These are the people you communicate with and wider your circle of influence, the more positive results you have with your communications.  Anything outside the circle of influence are things you have no control.  Think of all the floods in Colorado.  Persistence can be thought of as continuing to build relationships with others to gain the desired results.  Remember the quote from Jimmy Valvano? “Never give up, don’t ever give up!”  Being persistent can help you achieve your goals, whether they are in career search, leadership, or life dreams.  There is always a way to achieve them.

Positivity – This is the second most difficult for those in career transition deal with.  It’s easy to let the little green gremlin creep into our psyche and tell us it will never come.  Life is full of rejections, but also full of possibilities if you remember to think about the things you can control (I talked about this in Persistence too).  What actions can you take to move you forward?  In Leadership, Positivity can provide an engaging environment where your team wants to follow you.  Be truthful, but be positive about what the outcome can be.  Remember… think about the things you can control in a situation and move forward from there.

Blending all three of these develop a powerful confidence in us that keeps us moving forward in a way that eventually produces results. What are you doing today to exhibit Patience, Persistence, and Positivity?

Susan